Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar said “not to my knowledge” Wednesday night when asked whether she was related in any way to her former husband, during her first interview since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., home.
The exchange came on MS NOW’s “All In with Chris Hayes.” Hayes raised the long-standing allegation that Omar married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009. Omar called the claim “insane,” said it began on a Somali blog, and described it as something right-wing conspiracy theorists later amplified by quoting people who claimed she had introduced Elmi as her brother.
When Hayes followed up and asked whether she was related to Elmi at all, or whether there was “some weird kernel of truth,” Omar replied, “Not to my knowledge.”
WATCH: MS NOW's Chris Hayes sits down for an exclusive interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar following the raid of her D.C. home. “I think ultimately their goal is to intimidate and like scare people from wanting to participate and vote,” says Omar. https://t.co/cH4iFDzqvO
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) October 22, 2026
The interview was her first public comments since Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at her D.C. residence in the early morning hours of Oct. 12. A Justice Department spokesperson said the search was judicially authorized and part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Sources familiar with the probe have said it centers on possible immigration fraud and false statements, including paperwork related to Omar’s childhood entry into the United States that was completed by her late father.
Omar has previously described the brother-marriage allegation as “absurd and offensive.” In a 2016 statement she said insinuations that Elmi was her brother were false. Fact-checking organizations have reported that no definitive public evidence has established a sibling relationship, though local reporting has noted the unusual timeline of Omar’s marriages and divorces during that period.
No charges have been filed. Omar has described the raid as an effort to intimidate her and has said she will not be silenced. She told Hayes that agents took 17 items from the home, including phones and notebooks.
The allegation has circulated for roughly a decade and has been repeatedly amplified by political opponents. Wednesday’s response has drawn attention because it stopped short of the absolute denial Omar has offered in the past.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
