Trump Demands Omar Resign After Court Filing Lists Her as 'Ilhan Nur Said Elmi'; Her Office Calls Name Claim False

President Donald Trump called on Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., to resign from Congress at a rally in Iowa on Thursday, Oct. 22. His stated reason was a federal court filing that refers to her by a name other than the one she uses in office.

The filing was submitted Wednesday, Oct. 21, by the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro in Washington's federal court. It identifies Omar as "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar." Fox News obtained it.

What the filing is about

The document concerns the federal search warrant for Omar's Washington-area home. Prosecutors asked the court to keep the warrant sealed while agents finished executing it. The New York Times and other news organizations had asked for it to be released.

The filing does not establish that Omar used a fraudulent identity to take office. She has not been charged with a crime.

Agents searched the home earlier this month as part of what the Justice Department has confirmed is an ongoing criminal investigation. Fox News, citing unnamed sources, reported that investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father misrepresented information, including her age, on immigration documents. Fox also reported that agents seized her phone, computers and passport, and that her sister was questioned. Omar's office called the search "an outrageous abuse of power." Her attorneys have said it was politically motivated.

What Trump said

"It was just revealed just a little while ago that ... her name is not Ilhan Omar, the one that she used to get elected and sworn into Congress," Trump told the crowd. "She used a fake name to be sworn in. I assume she must immediately have to resign from Congress."

He added: "The Republicans have just picked up a seat in the House."

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Omar "has openly admitted to FRAUD" and asked that House Speaker Mike Johnson be told the Democratic Party had "conceded her seat." No filing or statement in the record shows Omar admitting fraud. Her office denies it.

Trump also called Omar "a scammer" and made disparaging remarks about Somalia, where she was born. The crowd chanted "Lock her up."

The Elmi name and the marriage allegation

Elmi is the surname of Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, Omar's former husband. They married in 2009 and divorced in 2017. Critics have alleged for years, without substantiated evidence, that he is her brother. Omar has repeatedly denied it. She called the claim "absurd and offensive" in 2016.

In an interview with MS NOW's Chris Hayes on Wednesday, Omar called the allegation "insane." Asked whether she is related to her former husband, she answered, "Not to my knowledge." Trump seized on that line at the rally. "That tells you a lot right there," he said.

Fox News Digital, citing two sources including a law enforcement source, reported that Omar's birth name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. A source familiar with the investigation told the New York Post that Elmi was her original surname. Neither source is named, and no document made public so far backs up the claim.

Omar's response

Omar's office rejected the reports. "This is completely false. Ilhan Omar is her real name," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The spokesperson called the allegation a "desperate smear" meant to distract from Trump and Republican governance. The spokesperson also said it was "disgraceful that the media continues to give this lie oxygen."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement that "less than 30 days until the midterm election, his violent mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family."

Attorney General Todd Blanche, asked about the filing by the New York Post, said he did not believe prosecutors "would make up names."

What is and is not settled

What is documented: a Justice Department filing uses the "Elmi" name with an "a/k/a" for Omar. A search warrant was executed at her home. A criminal investigation is ongoing.

What is alleged: that Elmi is her legal or birth name, that she used a false name to take her oath, and that she is related to her former husband. All of it comes from Trump, anonymous sources, or critics, and Omar denies it. Trump's assertion that a fake name disqualifies her from serving has not been tested in any court.

The House biography says Omar was born in Mogadishu on Oct. 14, 1982. It says her family fled Somalia's civil war and reached the United States in 1995. She became a Minnesota state representative in 2017 and a member of Congress in 2019.

Omar is seeking a fifth term in the Nov. 3 midterms. The investigation is still open, and prosecutors have not charged her.