Trump says Omar "could also go to jail" and calls her "a disgrace to our country"
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office
Asked in the Oval Office whether questions about Rep. Ilhan Omar's age could lead to her deportation, President Donald Trump said she could be deported and "could also go to jail". He called that his opinion and called Omar "a disgrace to our country".
“Well, she could be. She could also go to jail,” … “You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail.” … “This is just my opinion,” … “She’s a disgrace to our country,”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Trump administration officials publicly accuse Rep. Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud?
Since at least 2016 there have been unproven claims that Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2009 husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother. Senior Trump administration officials have repeated the claim publicly. This record begins with Vice President JD Vance’s March 27, 2026 statement that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud,” and includes President Donald Trump’s May 1 statement, “I believe she married her brother.” On September 10, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a podcast interview, “we know that she married her brother to try to bring him in the United States,” and that an investigation was ongoing. On September 13, border czar Tom Homan declined to give specifics of an “ongoing criminal investigation” but said “no one’s above the law.” Omar has denied the claim: on September 16 she told a reporter “Absolutely not” and that she is not under investigation, and on September 18 Fox News Digital reported her saying DHS had not contacted her. Fox reported that there has been no public evidence available to confirm an open investigation into her.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Fox News Digital's account of President Trump's October 20 Oval Office remarks about Rep. Ilhan Omar, with the video clip of the exchange embedded.
Before the quotation
Fox Business correspondent Edward Lawrence asked whether a problem with Omar's age could lead to her deportation. Fox News Digital reported that the investigation concerns allegations that Omar or her father misstated her birth year on immigration paperwork.
After the quotation
Trump called Omar "a very dishonest person" who "hates our country", asked why she wants to tell Americans how to run the country after coming from Somalia, and ended by saying "I hope they treat her fairly". Fox News Digital reported that he did not identify a specific criminal charge or present new evidence. Omar has denied wrongdoing and calls the investigation political persecution.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Trump answers a question about deporting Omar by raising the prospect of prison as well, and he calls her dishonest and a disgrace. That supports the public case against her and the investigation it rests on. The closest competing label is mixed or conditional, because he calls it his opinion and says he hopes she is treated fairly; it loses because neither remark qualifies his suggestion that she could be jailed or deported.
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Trump says Omar "has openly admitted to FRAUD" and must resign
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The Dispute Index. "Trump says Omar "could also go to jail" and calls her "a disgrace to our country"". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6409-asked-in-the-oval-office-whether-questions-about