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Republicans are hoping that many Democrats won’t be up for re-election next week and won’t return to the Capitol. Republicans are pleading with voters to expel them.
But President Trump is focused on ousting a Democrat from Congress who will likely win re-election in a decidedly blue district. That’s Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). She won her constituency two years ago with almost three-quarters of the vote. But President Trump questions whether Omar is legally present in the country and, therefore, qualified to serve in Congress.
“She used a false name to take the oath of office,” the president said. “She’s a little troublemaker.”
The Justice Department is investigating Omar for potential immigration fraud. Federal authorities recently searched his Washington, D.C., home and removed 17 items. This included phones, notebooks, a camera and a Somali phrase book for her children.
An image of Ilhan Omar superimposed on his Washington DC neighborhood. (Getty Images)
President Trump suggests his name is not “Ilhan Omar” and that it is “a totally different name. Ihan Nur Sayeed Elmi. It’s close.”
A federal filing in that investigation lists the lawmaker’s name as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, aka Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.”
That’s why the president says “she must immediately resign from Congress.”
A Fox Digital reporter asked the congresswoman about her name.
SOMALIAN RAP PROMISES TO “SCATTER” ENEMIES HIGHLIGHTS SERENE VIDEO OF OMAR BY THE LAKE
“Is your name Ilhan Sayed, Ilhan Nur Sayed Alami or Ilhan Abdullahi Omar?” asked Rashid Umar Abbasi, working for Fox.
“Ilhan Abdullahi Omar. You know that,” Omar replied.
“Madam?” asked Abbasi for clarification.
“It’s Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” she confirmed.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives officially lists the congresswoman as only “Ilhan Omar” in 15 different financial disclosure reports dating back to 2018. This was before she even entered Congress. The same goes for the Minnesota state legislature where Omar served before coming to Washington.
The discrepancy is why the president wants the House to ban Omar.
“She will not be legally permitted to be a member of this august body that sits in Washington,” President Trump said.
But it’s not his decision.
However, Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution grants both bodies of Congress final authority over who they admit to their membership.
At least one House Republican is willing to explore this issue. But only if the facts justify it.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a midterm campaign rally at Guardian Centers October 24, 2026 in Perry, Georgia. Trump speaks at a rally in support of Republican Georgia Senate candidate Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), who is trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and Republican Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“The House has the prerogative to sit or not sit and expel members if it chooses,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). “There must be good reasons for this.”
It’s a different set of rules, but Griffith experienced it as the Virginia House of Delegates grappled with a similar issue over seating lawmakers in the commonwealth in 1988.
But Congress is totally different.
“It would be extraordinary. And it should be extraordinary and it should not be used except in extraordinary circumstances,” Griffith said.
Yours truly asked what would prevent someone from sitting in the House.
“That’s what the Supreme Court said about pornography. I’ll know it when I see it,” Griffith said, paraphrasing the late Justice Potter Stewart in a key 1964 obscenity case.
ILHAN OMAR MAKES DEPORTATION THREAT AS GOP LEGISLATOR VERSUS TO EXECUTE HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE
House Republicans have two options for dealing with Omar if they are truly committed to action – regardless of what is proven or not. The qualifications for the House are quite simple. You must be a citizen and resident of the state you represent. And you must be 25 years old. You could even be convicted of a crime and serve time in prison. The Constitution remains silent on all other powers. You might also have a flawless CV. It doesn’t matter. The House could still take action against you.
The first possible option could happen now. The Constitution grants the House and Senate the right to expel members – provided there is a two-thirds vote. Any scenario to deport Omar seems remarkable. Especially since she has not been convicted of any crime. And even if she is charged, many other issues could arise before a trial.
It would be strange if the executive branch tried to remove a member of the legislative branch. Additionally, it is likely that House counsel would challenge any effort by federal prosecutors to obtain Omar’s official House communications devices and documents. There is a firewall between the legislative branch and the executive branch, known as the “speech or debate clause.” Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution grants legislators privileges related to their official duties. Obtaining these papers – let alone potentially deporting him as some have suggested – is therefore a long way off. Especially since she is a member and all this depends on her expulsion.
Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., took to social media Saturday to thank President Trump for commuting his prison sentence, saying the commander in chief’s “kindness” and “generosity” had deeply moved him. (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images and Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Furthermore, two-thirds of the House will never vote to expel a Member under such circumstances unless there is compelling evidence of wrongdoing. This is why the House has only expelled six members in its history. The last was former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) in 2023.
However, the issue could be whether or not there could be any objection to Omar being elected when the new Congress meets in January.
In 1968, Representative Adam Clayton Powell (Democrat of New York) was the subject of a criminal investigation. House Speaker John McCormack (D-Mass.) refused to seat Powell — even though he met all other requirements. The Supreme Court ruled in Powell v. McCormack that the House cannot exclude a Member if he or she meets the basic standards to serve in the House.
TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION VICTORY COULD STRENGTHEN THE ADMINISTRATOR’S HAND IN THE FIGHT NOW IN THE SUPREME COURT
That said, it’s possible there could be motions not to seat Omar — or even other elected progressive lawmakers who have made controversial comments about the United States and the Constitution. Such a motion would be presented immediately after the House chooses a speaker. But the President did not swear in the rest of the deputies. The House would then swear in everyone – except the elected member(s) who might face questions about their tenure. Once the House has sworn in the rest of the body, it can then vote on a motion not to expel these individuals, table the motion, or refer the motion to a committee for investigation.
In 1985, the House did not swear in Rep. Frank McCloskey (D-Ind.) and decided to investigate whether or not he had won his Hoosier state seat. The House did not swear in McCloskey for several months.
Based on Powell v. McCormackit is difficult to envision a scenario in which the House refuses to seat anyone. But he might not do so immediately, given the McCloskey affair.
Of course, it’s always likely that the House could seat someone — and then expel them. This does not directly clash with Powell decision. But given that the House only expelled six members, these circumstances are also questionable.
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What’s in a name? Especially for Ilhan Omar. His opponents might wonder about his name. But it is unlikely that they can do anything to improve its position.
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