House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday, saying right-wing conspiracy theorists have targeted her for years and that nothing in her behavior merits the federal search of her home, which he called an “extraordinary raid” carried out inside of 30 days of the election.
What happened
Asked at a campaign stop in New Hampshire whether he was worried there might be something behind the search — after a judge found probable cause to sign the warrant — Jeffries rejected the premise.
“Right-wing conspiracy theorists have been targeting Representative Omar for about eight years at this particular point in time,” Jeffries said. “There’s nothing there relative to behavior that should merit this type of extraordinary raid, let alone inside of 30 days from the date of the election.”
Where and when
Jeffries made the remarks on Oct. 12, 2026, during a press gaggle in New Hampshire, where he was campaigning with Democratic House candidate Stefany Shaheen. Video: C-SPAN.
The backdrop
Federal agents searched Omar’s Minnesota home as part of a criminal immigration probe. President Trump commented the same day, denying any personal role and saying the matter is “really up to the DOJ.” Omar has said she is “ok” and “will not be silenced,” and her office called the search an outrageous abuse of power.
Full story: Federal agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home
Related: Watch: Trump denies role in federal search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home