Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing more scrutiny a day after federal agents raided her Washington, D.C., residence in the early morning hours.
A video has resurfaced showing her welcoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to launch a formal inquiry into President Donald Trump during his first term, in which she claimed Trump had violated the law and must be held accountable.
During a September 24, 2019, interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Omar expressed satisfaction that Pelosi had joined Democratic lawmakers who had spent months pushing for action against Trump.
Omar, who had previously supported efforts to remove the president from office, said Pelosi’s announcement was a significant moment for House Democrats.
“Many of us have been talking about how this president thinks he’s above the law, and how we needed to hold him accountable,” Omar said. “And I’m very excited that she’s finally onboard and that we can start this process with leadership in tow.”
Pelosi announced the move following allegations that Trump had pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
The controversy centered on a July 2019 telephone conversation between Trump and Zelensky, as well as a whistleblower complaint concerning the president’s dealings with Ukraine.
Omar accused Trump of attempting to use American foreign assistance to obtain politically damaging information about a potential election opponent.
“He is withholding aid so that he can pressure a foreign country to dig dirt on a potential presidential opponent,” Omar told Blitzer. “That is very unconstitutional, and we must hold him responsible.”
Trump denied wrongdoing and maintained that his conversation with Zelensky was appropriate. He also accused Democrats of pursuing another politically motivated investigation.
Pelosi had previously resisted growing pressure from progressive Democrats to take the more aggressive step against Trump, arguing that lawmakers needed sufficient evidence and broader public support.
The allegations involving Ukraine, however, prompted several previously reluctant Democrats to back a formal investigation.
During her announcement, Pelosi accused Trump of violating his constitutional responsibilities and undermining the integrity of American elections.
“The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law,” Pelosi declared.
Blitzer questioned Omar about why the Ukraine controversy had prompted Pelosi to act when earlier investigations, including former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, had not produced the same response.
Omar suggested that the Ukraine allegations had finally pushed Democratic leadership to act.
“This particular incident shows that the president clearly thinks he’s above the law,” she said.
The Minnesota Democrat also defended Pelosi against suggestions that House Democrats had wasted valuable time by delaying action.
“The speaker has said today that sometimes the time finds us, and we are at a moment where the time has found us,” Omar said.
“It is time for us to act, and I’m excited for that to take place.”
Blitzer also challenged Omar over her assertion that Trump had broken the law, pointing out that neither the official account of the Ukraine telephone conversation nor the whistleblower complaint had been publicly released at the time.
Omar maintained that lawmakers already had sufficient information to move forward.
“We have enough information to know that a law has been broken,” she said, adding that lawmakers expected to learn more through congressional testimony.
She also indicated that Pelosi wanted the investigation to move quickly, with House committee chairmen receiving the speaker’s support to continue their work.
Pelosi ultimately directed six House committees to proceed with their existing investigations under the new framework.
The announcement marked a major escalation in the confrontation between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration and set the stage for a months-long battle over presidential conduct and congressional oversight.
For Omar and other Democrats who had long advocated removing Trump from office, Pelosi’s decision meant the party leadership was finally prepared to pursue that effort through a formal congressional process.
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