US President Donald Trump has once again targeted a Muslim American politician, saying Congresswoman Ilhan Omar could face prison and deportation amid a federal investigation into her immigration history. The latest remarks add to a long pattern of attacks on Muslim politicians and immigrants.
Ilhan Omar Could Face Prison and Deportation
Speaking during an event in the Oval Office, Trump said Omar, a Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota, could go to prison amid an immigration investigation examining whether she made false statements on government documents when she became a US citizen. Trump also called Omar “a sick and very dishonest person” and disparaged Somalia.
“You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail. This is just my opinion,” he said.
Trump Has Been After Omar Since She Entered Congress
Federal agents searched Omar’s home earlier this month as part of a probe into possible immigration fraud, including allegations of false statements on official documents and a potential conspiracy. The Wall Street Journal has also reported that the Trump administration is seeking to revoke her citizenship and eventually deport her.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a US citizen, has repeatedly clashed with Trump since entering Congress. She responded to the allegations in a post on X, writing:
“Trump and his administration have been after me since I arrived in Congress. I have always stood up to him, and that will never change. The pedophile protector will never silence me.”
Trump Has Also Targeted Muslim Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed
In August 2026, the president targeted Democratic candidates running in the midterm elections, describing them as “jihadists” and directing his remarks at Muslim American politicians, including Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
El-Sayed, a physician and former Michigan health official, is running for a US Senate seat. If elected, he would become the first Muslim senator in American history.
Trump also shared an image on Truth Social contrasting himself and First Lady Melania Trump with El-Sayed and his wife, who wears a hijab. The image carried the caption “Two VERY DIFFERENT America’s,” drawing attention to the candidates’ contrasting identities and family backgrounds.
Trump’s History of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
Trump’s latest comments fit into a broader history of rhetoric targeting Muslims. During his first presidential campaign in 2015, he called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” a proposal that became one of the most widely criticized parts of his campaign.
After taking office in 2017, he introduced travel restrictions affecting several Muslim-majority countries. The policy, widely known as the Muslim ban, faced legal challenges and was revised several times before the Supreme Court upheld its final version in 2018.
A Repeated Pattern
From questioning Ilhan Omar’s place in the United States to targeting Abdul El-Sayed during an election campaign, Trump’s rhetoric repeatedly puts Muslim politicians and immigrants under attack. His comments often go beyond policy disagreements, bringing religion, national origin, and personal identity into the political debate.
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