{
  "id": 15445842,
  "title": "Trump once questioned Obama's citizenship. Now Obama is speaking out for Ilhan Omar.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/trump-once-questioned-obamas-citizenship-now-obama-is-speaking-out",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-18T16:04:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/10/18/obama-trump-ilhan-omar-citizenship-investigation-copy-package"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two decades ago, former President Barack Obama faced baseless accusations that he had not been born in the United States. Now, Obama has come to the defense of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, who is under investigation by the Department of Justice for allegations that she illegally obtained U.S. citizenship years prior. Obama's denunciation of the Trump administration's actions reflects his belief that such tactics are deeply troubling, regardless of personal opinions on the matter. In a scathing statement, Obama declares that \"if this becomes the new normal, there's no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won't do the same.\" The investigation into Omar involves seizing her phone and probing her immigration paperwork from her teenage years when she moved to the United States from Somalia. The administration aims to build a case to revoke her citizenship and potentially deport her. Omar's accusers claim she lied about her age during her naturalization process, potentially disqualifying her from holding office. However, past investigations, including one by the Trump administration in 2019, found insufficient evidence to pursue charges. Omar dismisses the current investigation as a politically motivated witch hunt, particularly as the election approaches. Obama's forceful criticism, in a more than 400-word article, underscores the gravity of the situation, highlighting the chilling effect such actions have on elected officials who dare to criticize a sitting president.",
  "summary": "Former President Barack Obama issued a forceful denunciation of the Trump administration's legal pursuit of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar over suspicions she fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship decades ago, an allegation the Minnesota lawmaker has called \"disgusting lies.\" Why it matters: Obama — who faced false claims for years from Donald Trump that he wasn't an American citizen — is selective…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "Can Trump deport Ilhan Omar from the US?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/can-trump-deport-ilhan-omar-from-the-us",
        "published": "2026-10-17T15:19:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}