Former President Barack Obama on Sunday called the Justice Department’s investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) “appalling,” accusing the Trump administration of using the full weight of the federal government to intimidate and potentially deport one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics.

“The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,” Obama wrote in a social media post, according to CNN.

The former president’s remarks mark his sharpest public intervention yet in a probe that has shaken Washington since federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, DC, home last week.

“Uncover a nonexistent smoking gun”

Obama said the recent search of the Minnesota Democrat’s home was designed to “uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.”

CNN previously reported that the search was related to an immigration fraud probe investigating whether Omar’s father lied about her age when she obtained her US citizenship in 2000. Omar has sought to dismantle the basis of the probe, saying she became a lawfully naturalized citizen in 2000 after fleeing Somalia in 1995, and she has disputed the legality of last week’s search while demanding the return of her property seized by federal agents.

Omar has not been charged with a crime, and the Justice Department has not revealed any evidence against her. The government has not indicated it will attempt to strip Omar of her citizenship, CNN reported.

Obama lays out the citizenship facts

In a lengthy post on X, Obama walked through the circumstances under which Omar became a US citizen, writing, “To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts,” according to the New York Post.

Obama said Omar arrived in the United States with her father when she was 12, and that she automatically became a citizen at 17 when her father was naturalized. Had she been 18 at the time, she would have had to apply for citizenship separately, he noted.

The former president accused investigators of pursuing an “unsubstantiated theory” that Omar was actually 18 at the time of her father’s naturalization, which would have required her to apply separately — the basis, he claimed, on which the administration was attempting to justify stripping her of citizenship and deporting her.

“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,” Obama wrote on X. “But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.”

“This should outrage all Americans”

Obama warned that the tactic set a dangerous precedent regardless of one’s politics.

“The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views,” he wrote. “Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.”

Trump’s response

Trump told reporters last week that the search of Omar’s home “has nothing to do with me.”

“I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it,” he said, according to CNN.

Earlier this year, however, Trump said in a post to Truth Social that he would like to see Omar sent back to Somalia, CNN reported.

What we know so far

• What: Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, DC, home last week as part of an immigration fraud probe.
• The alleged issue: Whether Omar’s father lied about her age on immigration paperwork when she became a US citizen in 2000.
• Obama’s position: The probe is an “appalling” effort to intimidate a critic; he laid out her citizenship history on X on Sunday.
• Charges: None. Omar has not been charged with a crime; the Justice Department has not disclosed evidence.
• Omar’s position: She says she became a lawful citizen in 2000 after fleeing Somalia in 1995, disputes the search’s legality, and has demanded her property back.

FAQ

Why is Barack Obama defending Ilhan Omar?
Obama said the Justice Department’s investigation into Omar is an attempt by the Trump administration to “intimidate” one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, calling the effort “appalling” in a social media post on Sunday, according to CNN.

What is the Ilhan Omar investigation about?
CNN previously reported the probe is examining whether Omar’s father lied about her age on immigration paperwork when she obtained US citizenship in 2000. Omar says she became a lawful naturalized citizen in 2000 after fleeing Somalia in 1995.

Has Ilhan Omar been charged?
No. Omar has not been charged with a crime, and the Justice Department has not revealed any evidence against her, according to CNN.

What did Trump say about the search?
Trump told reporters the search “has nothing to do with me,” adding, “I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ.” Earlier this year he posted that he would like to see Omar sent to Somalia, CNN reported.

Related: Ilhan Omar Criminal Investigation: Federal Probe Into Immigration Fraud

Sources: CNN · New York Post