Did Ilhan Omar marry her own brother? Decoding viral MAGA conspiracy theory
Ilhan Omar reacted to a report that confirmed that her second husband Ahmed Elmi is her brother.
A resurfaced interview. A MAGA-fuelled conspiracy. A flurry of expletives. And once again, Congresswoman
Ilhan Omar
finds herself in the middle of America's ever-churning culture wars.
This latest firestorm began with conservative activist Laura Loomer re-posting a 2018 clip of Omar telling journalist Mehdi Hasan: 'Our country should be more fearful of white men... we should be profiling, monitoring, and creating policies to fight the radicalisation of white men.'
Originally broadcast with little fanfare, the clip has been weaponised in 2025 amid renewed political polarisation. Loomer labelled Omar a 'jihadist member of Congress,' accusing her—without evidence—of having ties to Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and ISIS.
Then came the second act of the outrage cycle. When a Washington reporter asked Omar if more Democrats should meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Salvadoran man deported by the Trump administration and alleged to have MS-13 links—Omar snapped: 'I think you should f*** off.'When asked if she meant him specifically, she clarified: 'You.' She later doubled down on X (formerly Twitter), writing: 'I said what I said. You and all you miserable trolls can f*** off.
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'
The MAGA Claim: Did She Marry Her Brother?
As her critics piled on, one of the MAGA's oldest and most persistent attacks resurfaced: that Ilhan Omar once married her biological brother in order to commit immigration fraud.
The claim dates back to 2016, first floated on a Somali-American internet forum. It alleges that Omar's 2009 marriage to British citizen Ahmed Nur Said Elmi was not only a sham—but that Elmi was, in fact, her biological brother. The motive, according to the theory, was to secure a path to US citizenship for him.
Social media posts showing Omar and Elmi together were taken as circumstantial evidence, and the internet did what the internet does best: turned conjecture into certainty. Prominent figures in conservative media—ranging from Laura Loomer to Donald Trump Jr.—amplified the theory. 'She married her brother' became a meme, a slur, and a rallying cry for critics of Omar.
Investigations and Findings
In 2019, The Minneapolis Star Tribune—Omar's hometown newspaper—conducted an extensive investigation.
It found discrepancies in her marriage and tax filings, as well as puzzling gaps in documentation. But on the central allegation, the paper was blunt: 'We could neither conclusively confirm nor rebut the allegation that Elmi is Omar's sibling.'
Later, in 2020, the FBI reportedly reviewed the case, alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Education. Yet none of the agencies pressed charges, nor did they release any evidence implicating Omar in wrongdoing.
In short: where there should be documentation—birth certificates, DNA tests, family statements—there was only innuendo.
What the Fact-Checkers Say
All major fact-checking organisations have reviewed the claim. None have found it credible.
PolitiFact concluded that while questions existed around dates and filings, 'there is no verified evidence that Elmi is Omar's brother.'
Snopes categorised the claim as unproven, noting that the story relied on 'anonymous sources and unverifiable documents.'
FactCheck.org called the allegation part of a 'broader pattern of misinformation targeting Omar.'
The New York Post, Business Insider, and The Times of India have all reviewed the saga in detail, with similar conclusions: no documents proving a biological relationship, no legal confirmation, and no charges filed despite years of scrutiny.
Omar's Response
Omar has dismissed the claim from the beginning, calling it 'absurd and offensive.' In response to a viral 2025 post that claimed to finally 'confirm' the brother marriage theory, she posted on X: 'The only thing that is confirmed is your stupidity. Hope that helps.' She has consistently argued that the allegations are politically motivated attacks rooted in racism, Islamophobia, and misogyny.
The Final Word
There is no verified evidence that Ilhan Omar married her brother. Multiple investigations, including one by the FBI, found no wrongdoing. Fact-checkers have labelled the claim unsubstantiated. Omar herself has firmly denied it.
But the durability of the rumour says more about America's political landscape than it does about Omar's personal life. As long as outrage remains currency in US politics, the truth may remain beside the point.
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