Trump Repeats 'Baseless Rumor' Rep. Ilhan Omar Married Her Brother
President Trump stooped to new lows on Wednesday when he repeatedly stoked rumors that Rep. Ilhan Omar committed immigration fraud by illegally marrying her brother.
Before leaving the White House for a “Make America Great Again” rally in North Carolina, Trump took a few questions from the press.
Reporter Emerald Robinson from the One America News Network asked the president “if the administration was looking into possible immigration fraud committed by Ilhan Omar for possibly marrying her brother.”
The claim Omar illegally wed her brother so he could gain American citizenship appeared on conservative blogs in 2016 when Omar announced her candidacy for the Minnesota state legislature.
When Trump was asked the incendiary question, he responded by suggesting the rumor was a well-known fact.
“Well, there’s a lot of talk about the fact that she was married to her brother. I know nothing about it,” Trump responded.
“I hear she was married to her brother. You’re asking me a question about it. I don’t know, but I’m sure there’s somebody who will be looking at that,” he added.
Trump’s statement came before a crowd of people in Greeneville chanted “send her back” when the president criticized Omar and the other congresswomen in “the squad.”
In a statement released by Omar, the representative called the claim she married her brother “baseless rumors” that “are absolutely false and ridiculous.”
Omar explained how she married her current partner, Ahmed Hirsi, in the eyes of her Muslim faith in 2002 — but never legally married him. Their partnership ended in 2008 and Omar legally married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009.
Two years later, the couple split and Omar got back together with Hirsi.
“Insinuations that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is my brother are absurd and offensive,” she said in the statement.
The need for Omar to breakdown her marriage history and deny claims she married her brother is extremely similar to the actions taken by former President Barack Obama during the “birther” conspiracy.
In 2011, Trump essentially began his political career fueling the “birtherism” movement during a speech at CPAC and repeating false claims that Obama was not born in the U.S.
For months, Trump continuously went after Obama by spreading the conspiracy theories until Obama released short-form and long-form birth certificates proving he was born in Hawaii.
What’s more, many people find it incredibly hypocritical for Trump to suggest anyone has had an inappropriate relationship with a relative when he has been at the center of several attacks surrounding his relationship with his oldest daughter, Ivanka.
During an appearance on Sirius XM’s “The Michelangelo Signorile Show," comedian and Trump foe Rosie O’Donnell said the president’s relationship with his daughter is “creepy.”
"I think he's been doing bad things with her for a very long time," O'Donnell explained. "There's a creepy, incest feel that is very prevalent amongst Donald Trump and his children, or at least his daughter. Very creepy."
Other comedians such as Bill Maher and Trevor Noah have also poked fun at Trump’s unusual obsession with Ivanka.
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