Barack Obama
Role at the time: Former president of the United States
Condemned
Statement summary
Obama said the Trump administration is selectively targeting Omar for her political views and her criticism of the president. He said agents raided her home and seized her records and phone in search of evidence that does not exist, and he called the effort appalling.
“It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. ... Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Barack Obama's X post on the Trump administration's investigation of Ilhan Omar · Barack ObamaX post (long-form)
Former President Barack Obama posted this statement on X on October 18, 2026.
Why we used this label
The question in this case is whether the search of Omar's home was legitimate law enforcement or political targeting. Obama says the administration is targeting her for her political views and describes the search as part of that effort.