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Ilhan Omar doubles down on ‘real name’ when confronted at Mall of Somalia

Ilhan Omar doubles down on ‘real name’ when confronted at Mall of Somalia

Rep. Ilhan Omar told Fox News Digital that her “real name” is “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” after a federal court filing identified the congresswoman by a last name matching that of her ex-husband, whom reports have alleged is her brother. “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, you know it,” Omar told Fox News Digital when asked about her name. “It’s Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” Omar was spotted by Fox News Digital at the Karmel Mall of Somalia in Minnesota as she made her way into the Karmel Masjid, inside the mall, for Friday prayers. ILHAN OMAR CALLS TRUMP ‘CREEP’ AS PRESIDENT REVIVES ‘FAKE NAME,’ MARRIAGE ALLEGATIONS Her comments come after two people familiar with the ongoing investigation into the Somali-born congresswoman, including a law enforcement source, said that her real name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. The last name is the same as her ex-husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who is alleged to be her brother. Federal prosecutors referred to the Minnesota Democrat as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” in a Wednesday filing in D.C. federal court, as first reported by Fox News Digital. One source said the language used for her name in the filing reflected the evidence that has so far been compiled in the immigration fraud investigation. ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH EXPULSION THREAT AS GOP LAWMAKER VOWS TO BOOT HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE One source disputed Omar’s account of her name, telling Fox News Digital, ‘That’s not her real name.’ U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro filed a motion on Wednesday seeking to prevent the federal search warrant for the congresswoman’s home from being unsealed, which was requested by several media outlets. The motion says the federal government is not yet finished executing the search warrant, and that it shouldn’t be unsealed yet. ILHAN OMAR’S SISTER QUESTIONED BY FEDS AFTER DRAMATIC DC HOME RAID “Before the Court are three Applications to unseal ex parte materials and proceedings related to a federal search warrant for the personal residence in the District of Columbia of Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar…” the motion begins. If proven in court that the congresswoman was not using her “real name,” every single form she ever filled out could be subject to investigation, a former Minnesota federal immigration judge said. Omar’s spokesperson repeatedly denied the claim, telling Fox News Digital on Thursday that the reports of her name being “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi” are “completely false,” then proceeding with an attack on Fox News. The spokesperson also denied that Omar was once married to her brother, calling the claims a “disgusting conspiracy theory.” Omar’s residence in Washington, D.C., was raided by Homeland Security Investigations earlier this month as part of a probe into whether she or her father committed immigration fraud when becoming naturalized citizens. Federal authorities have since issued subpoenas to members of Omar’s family and seized her cellphone. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

Ilhan Omar calls Trump ‘creep’ as president revives ‘fake name,’ marriage allegations

Ilhan Omar calls Trump ‘creep’ as president revives ‘fake name,’ marriage allegations

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., lashed out at President Donald Trump on Friday after he accused her of using a fake name and revived longstanding allegations surrounding her former marriage. “The pedophile protection party’s president is laundering right-wing conspiracy theories through the most corrupt DOJ in American history,” Omar wrote on X. “Whenever the news turns bad, this creep reaches for one name: mine,” she continued. “So let’s make it crystal clear. My name has always been Ilhan Omar.” ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH EXPULSION THREAT AS GOP LAWMAKER VOWS TO BOOT HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE Omar then turned her fire on Vice President JD Vance, adding, “Maybe you should focus on what your VP’s real name is.” The verbal pushback came as Trump called on Omar to resign from Congress Thursday after Fox News Digital reported that Omar’s birth name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, according to two people familiar with the ongoing federal investigation, including a law enforcement source. A Justice Department court filing this week, related to a search warrant for her Washington-area home, identified the Minnesota Democrat as “Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.”  Omar’s office disputed Fox News Digital’s reporting, insisting, “Ilhan Omar is her real name.” Omar has not been charged with a crime. ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS “It was just revealed that Ilhan Omar’s name is not Ilhan Omar,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday, accusing the congresswoman of using a “fake name” and calling for her immediate resignation. Trump also revived longstanding allegations that Omar’s former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother — claims Omar has repeatedly denied. He pointed out that the name used in the DOJ filings matched that of the man she allegedly married and is related to. When asked during an MS NOW interview this week whether there was any familial relationship with Elmi, Omar responded, “Not to my knowledge.” Her spokesperson later said the answer was sarcastic and reiterated that Omar “repeatedly and unequivocally” denied the allegation. Federal investigators are probing whether Omar or her father made false statements on immigration paperwork.  Agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence earlier this month and seized her cellphone and passport, while her sister has also been questioned as part of the investigation, Fox News Digital previously reported.

‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says

‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says

An ad earlier this week from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked outrage from both sides of the aisle, but a political strategist in the state says that the record of his opponent, former health director Amy Acton, is what ultimately makes the difference in the race. The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood and questioning her fitness to serve as governor. Acton responded by saying she and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody after her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing her, and Ramaswamy was quickly blasted by Democrats and some Republicans over the ad, which he has defended and spent millions to run over the next couple of weeks. The controversy over the ad went viral on social media and was even commented on by President Donald Trump, who strongly defended Ramaswamy. Ohio attorney and political strategist Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital that Acton’s record is what should be under the microscope, not the ad. “I think that we have to really shift from Vivek’s recent ad into the most important question for Ohioans is, who do you want governing the state of Ohio? We clearly can’t trust Amy Acton, and she has a record of that,” Cooke told Fox News Digital. RAMASWAMY TORCHES DEM RIVAL OVER ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ COVID-19 CLAIM: ‘SPEWING LIES’ Acton’s record involves controversies both professionally and personally, many of which have been focused on by ads in the state of Ohio. Acton served as health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the first months of COVID-19, when Ohio closed schools, shuttered bars and restaurants, restricted businesses and imposed a statewide stay-at-home order. She also signed orders restricting nursing-home visitors, closing senior centers and adult daycare facilities, limiting mass gatherings and closing gyms and personal-service businesses before leaving the position amid pushback for the negative impact the lockdowns had. ‘GENERATION COVID’ EXPLORES THE LASTING TOLL OF PANDEMIC-ERA SCHOOL CLOSURES “She worked as a health director for Mike DeWine and left after masking our children, shutting down our state, and yes, Mike DeWine’s name is on those orders, but at the end of the day, it was Amy Acton’s signature,” Cooke said. “And she’s the one who pushed for locking down our kids. I don’t ever want to hire somebody who quits on the state during a pandemic. I can’t imagine if she had another meltdown, whether it was managing our state budget or anything else. So people don’t trust Amy.” Acton’s handling of nursing homes has also drawn criticism in pro-Ramaswamy advertisements on the airwaves. Ohio imposed a broad visitor ban at nursing homes and similar facilities in March 2020, separating residents from family members during the early months of the pandemic. The Ohio Department of Health was later sued over its refusal to release facility-level COVID-19 death data. An Ohio appeals court ruled that the department violated the state’s public-records law by refusing to provide information about nursing-home deaths. ‘COVID 2.0’: LAWMAKERS PUSH BACK ON SWEEPING HEALTH ‘POLICE POWER’ IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE The ruling involved the health department as an agency and did not establish that Acton personally ordered the records to be withheld. However, critics have continued to argue that the controversy raises questions about transparency during her tenure. Acton’s closure orders also became the subject of litigation from Ohio gyms. In the Rock House Fitness case, a court described the state’s actions as “arbitrary, unreasonable, and oppressive,” though subsequent legal proceedings and changes to the state’s orders complicated the dispute. More recently, five current and former state-government workers told the Washington Examiner that Acton was sometimes absent from pandemic strategy meetings and emotionally volatile while leading the state’s response. One source alleged that she was found curled up on the floor before an emergency meeting, while another said she was seen crying in a bathroom. A separate 2019 police report has also become a campaign issue. Bexley police responded to Acton’s home after a reported domestic dispute involving her husband. According to reporting based on the police report, Acton’s daughter told police that Acton had been drinking, throwing things and breaking glass. The report also said Acton pulled a mirror from a wall, shattering it. No one was injured and no charges were filed. Acton’s campaign described the episode as a normal marital argument and disputed claims that it demonstrated alcohol abuse. Acton has called broader accusations that she is an alcoholic or drug addict “lies” and “a complete fabrication.” Cooke explained that supporting law enforcement will be a critical attribute the next governor needs and that Acton has shown she is weak in that area, pointing to an Acton comment that appeared to compare ICE agents to the KKK and tying Acton to the “defund the police” ideology popular with socialist candidates across the country. “There are people coming out there wearing masks, with all the gear on,” Acton said earlier this year during a City Club of Cleveland forum. “We don’t even know who they are. They’re just showing up. Does this not feel like the Ku Klux Klan to anyone?” While Ramaswamy has faced blowback for using Acton’s mother in an ad, the race had already gotten personal and tied to family, with Acton’s side running ads invoking Ramaswamy’s mother. “They have run an attack ad on Vivek Ramaswamy’s mother and the failure of an Alzheimer’s drug, they started attacking family first and I think politics is brutal,” Cooke said. “This is a contact sport in terms of anything in your closet. It all goes, but the difference is Vivek actually comes and addresses questions. He talks to people. He explains whether it was his businesses or anything else that he has conducted for the betterment of our economy and Ohioans. Amy continues to hide.” With 11 days until voters decide who will be the next governor of Ohio, Acton has not yet agreed to debate Ramaswamy, which Cooke says is because she can’t articulate

Federal judge kicked off ‘botch job’ anti-DEI case after stunning appeals court rebuke

Federal judge kicked off ‘botch job’ anti-DEI case after stunning appeals court rebuke

A federal judge was removed from a challenge to Mississippi’s anti-DEI law after the Fifth Circuit blasted his handling of the case as a “botch job,” pointing to orders riddled with factual errors, an apparent AI-hallucinated case citation and faulty applications of Supreme Court precedent. In an opinion penned by Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, the appeals court vacated Reagan-appointed Judge Henry Wingate’s preliminary injunction blocking the law and ordered the case reassigned to a different judge — an “extraordinary” and “rarely invoked” move. “This district judge carelessly exercised his Article III power by issuing sloppy edicts based on falsehoods and fabrications,” Smith wrote, adding that “the district court—or perhaps, being charitable, its AI agent—ignored and manipulated governing law, apparently to satisfy a policy agenda.” The controversy surrounding Wingate’s handling of the case began with serious errors in a temporary restraining order he issued in July after a group of teachers, parents and students sued, arguing that a Mississippi state law restricting DEI-related practices in public schools and universities violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES STRIPPING TAX-EXEMPT STATUS FROM SCHOOLS USING RACE-BASED PROGRAMS Wingate replaced the order just two days later after Mississippi officials flagged major factual errors, including 11 individuals and organizations identified as plaintiffs who were never a part of the case, two officials incorrectly named as defendants and unsupported claims that three schools had already canceled DEI programs because of the law. The original TRO also cited purported declarations from four people who did not appear anywhere in the record and “may not even exist,” according to the Fifth Circuit. It also attributed language to the bill that does not appear in the law, including references to “race or sex stereotyping,” “race or sex scapegoating,” “critical race theory” and “institutional bias.” “We are grateful—and, indeed, lucky—that the defendants provided a copy of the original TRO as an exhibit in their July 28 motion, ECF 58-1, given that Judge Wingate kept it from public view,” Smith wrote. Even the corrected TRO contained errors, including a citation to a nonexistent case that the Fifth Circuit called “an apparent AI hallucination.” Wingate cited the purported case while discussing the relationship between temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, leading Smith to conclude that the fabricated citation was “arguably part of the shoddy reasoning of the preliminary injunction, too.” Wingate later acknowledged that a law clerk had used artificial intelligence to assist in drafting the TRO, following accusations of AI use surfacing publicly. Wingate said the errors were “clerical” and did not affect the court’s “core legal reasoning or the ultimate judgment on the merits.” The Fifth Circuit pushed back on that explanation, questioning “how so many mistaken facts could not at least marginally ‘affect’ ‘core legal reasoning’ or support for the judgment on the merits.” The Fifth Circuit found major flaws in Wingate’s legal reasoning, accusing the judge of misinterpreting Supreme Court rulings on free speech challenges, exceeding the limits of court injunctions and mishandling legal protections for government and public-employee speech. The panel zeroed in on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Moody v. NetChoice, which sets a two-step test for courts considering First Amendment challenges seeking to strike down a law entirely. DOJ MOVES TO BOOT FEDERAL JUDGES FROM IMMIGRATION CASES OVER NYT INTERVIEW Under the Moody analysis, a court can strike down an entire law on First Amendment grounds only if its unconstitutional applications substantially outweigh its constitutional ones. The appeals court took issue with Wingate describing the Moody framework as “supposedly” required. “That Judge Wingate twice refers to the Moody framework as ‘supposedly’ required calls into question whether he even tried in good faith to follow the law,” Smith wrote. “The district court’s laxity in observing the binding authority of the Supreme Court is yet another reason to doom the preliminary injunction,” Smith continued. The appeals court also faulted Wingate for his reasoning in granting preliminary relief, pointing to his ruling that the court “should pause when faced with an unsettled area with such dire possible consequences.” “That gets the entire law of injunctive relief completely backwards,” Smith wrote. “A preliminary injunction cannot stand just because there is a possibility of success on the merits,” Smith continued. The appeals court also accused Wingate of misreading the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Trump v. CASA, which limits judges from issuing orders that go beyond what is needed to protect the people who filed the lawsuit. Wingate cited CASA in concluding that injunctions like the one before him “should be all-or-nothing renditions.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “That is almost exactly the opposite of what CASA says,” Smith wrote. “The quoted portion was the Supreme Court’s cautioning against overbroad relief and urging judges to tailor relief to what is absolutely necessary and nothing more.” The Fifth Circuit sent the case back to the Southern District of Mississippi, where a new judge will consider it.

Thune weighs nightmare scenario for GOP as Democrats threaten to flip House

Thune weighs nightmare scenario for GOP as Democrats threaten to flip House

FREMONT, Neb. — If Democrats are able to gain control of the House of Representatives, one relationship between the top two lawmakers on both sides of Congress could define the remainder of President Donald Trump’s time in office. If that’s the outcome on Election Night, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., would have to work with the Democratic leader who rises in the House, and that is expected to be House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who has led Democrats in the lower chamber since 2023. But Thune, in an interview with Fox News Digital on the campaign trail in Nebraska, remained confident that wouldn’t be the outcome. THUNE MAKES BOLD PREDICTION ABOUT REPUBLICANS’ SENATE CHANCES AS GOP PULLS MILLIONS FROM KEY RACES “Well, I mean, I think obviously that’s an entirely different dynamic,” Thune said. “You’ve got a situation with divided government and that creates a different incentive structure in terms of if you want to be able to get things done, but I don’t assume for a minute that’s going to happen.” “I still think that when push comes to shove and people look at the choices in front of them that we have a really good shot at hanging on both the House and the Senate,” he continued. Election forecasters predict that the Senate could stay in Republican control, though seven total races are considered toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. Republicans’ chances of holding onto power in the House, however, are murkier, given that dozens of battleground seats are in play that have shifted favorably toward Democrats. The GOP has had a grip on the lower chamber since 2022, when it flipped the House during former President Joe Biden’s presidency. But a deeply unpopular Trump, whose approval ratings have dipped to historic lows, and continued economic pressures could contribute to Democrats regaining power. JOHNSON DOWNPLAYS GOP’S MIDTERM WOES AS DEMOCRATS EYE HOUSE TAKEOVER: ‘I AM VERY BULLISH’ Jeffries’ office did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital asking whether he could work with Thune if both won their respective leadership spots. There has been no love lost between the two men during this congressional term so far, with each sharply criticizing the other during key legislative fights. Thune blasted Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., earlier this year as talks began to break down over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The top Republican accused both of being “afraid of their shadows,” and being controlled by their left flank. That prompted Jeffries to retort to reporters that it was Thune who was “scared of his own shadow” during the partisan standoff. During the 2025 government shutdown, Jeffries accused Thune of “trying to bluff his way into an agreement” on federal spending. Congress is no stranger to a divided government, either. From 2023 to early 2025, Republicans controlled the House and Democrats held a razor-thin majority in the Senate. SCHUMER WARNS OF REPUBLICAN ADVANTAGE THAT COULD CHANGE THE BATTLE FOR SENATE CONTROL During that time, according to data collected by the Pew Research Center, the split Congress produced 106 laws. This version of Congress has so far produced 121 laws, with some major legislative action happening, like the “big, beautiful bill” and a major housing affordability package, passing between historically long government shutdowns. Thune is laser-focused on keeping the GOP’s control of the Senate, which was under Democratic control until 2024, when Trump and Republicans clinched a trifecta in Washington, D.C. He’s crisscrossed the country for the last several weeks of the homestretch heading into the election on Nov. 3, boosting candidates in competitive races that could determine the balance of power in the Senate. Republican control of the upper chamber, he contended, would be vital to continuing key chunks of Trump’s agenda, including confirming his judicial and other executive branch nominations. “So if you want to see the country succeed and move forward, we’ve got to have a majority in the U.S. Senate to work with this president,” Thune said. “Hopefully with a majority in the House as well, but I am very committed to doing whatever I can in the next couple of weeks getting around the country on behalf of our candidates to ensure that we have that majority in the Senate.”