Trump Says Omar Could Go to Jail as Federal Probe Continues

President Trump said Tuesday that Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota could face more than deportation. Asked in the Oval Office whether the congresswoman could be deported if there is a problem with her age, he answered, "Well, she could be. She could also go to jail," The Gateway Pundit reported.

The remark lands in the middle of a federal criminal investigation into Omar's immigration and citizenship paperwork, an inquiry that has already included a search of her Washington, D.C., home and subpoenas to members of her family. No charges have been announced, and no court filing has been made public.

That gap matters. Neither Gateway Pundit nor Fox cites evidence of a specific charge, and Trump offered none. By Fox News' account, Trump called it "just my opinion." The notes do not make clear which remark that phrase was attached to.

A Fraud Event Turns to Omar

The exchange came during an Oval Office announcement of a new Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program from the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Fox reported that Fox Business correspondent Edward Lawrence asked the question about Omar; Gateway Pundit described the questioner only as a reporter.

Trump did not stop at the legal question. He called Omar a "disgrace to our country," according to Fox 9 in Minneapolis, and added, "I hope they treat her fairly, but I think she's a very dishonest person." He also turned to Somalia, calling it "a real sh*t house," and said the country has "no government" and "no police."

The president went further on Minnesota's Somali community, saying its members have "like a 98% unemployment rate" and that they "ruined a great state." He gave no source for that figure. Gateway Pundit also reported that he gestured toward the Declaration of Independence on the Oval Office wall while mocking Omar's claim to constitutional rights.

Last week, Trump told Gateway Pundit he does not "take a position" on whether he wants Omar deported.

What Investigators Have Done So Far

The Justice Department has said the search of Omar's home is part of an ongoing criminal investigation but has not disclosed its scope, Fox 9 reported. The outlets place the search only in "last week" or earlier this month; the exact date has not been confirmed. About a dozen family members were subpoenaed, and Fox reported that authorities spoke with Omar's sister, though what was discussed is unclear.

What exactly is alleged about Omar's age and citizenship has not been laid out in the reporting available. Gateway Pundit describes her as under investigation for financial crimes and uses harsher language about her; Fox presents the matter as allegations she denies. MEAWW, citing unnamed reports, said the administration has also launched tax-return inquiries, a claim that has not been independently confirmed.

Border czar Tom Homan has said Omar could be denaturalized and deported if immigration fraud is proven, Fox reported. Fox's page also links a story headlined "Ilhan Omar should be jailed, deported if citizenship fraud proven, top House Republican says." The speaker is not named in the portion reviewed, and only the headline was seen, not the reporting behind it.

Omar and Democrats Push Back

Omar has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation political persecution, according to Fox. Yahoo's syndication of Fox reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats have denounced the probe, and that former President Barack Obama issued a statement calling the targeting "appalling." No response from Omar to Tuesday's specific remarks had surfaced as of this writing.

What Comes Next

For now, everything rests with the Justice Department. Any denaturalization or deportation would require separate legal proceedings, and prison would require charges and a conviction. The next signals to watch are a DOJ statement or indictment, a formal reply from Omar, and whether congressional Republicans make a move of their own. Until then, Trump's remark that she "could" go to jail is just that.