Below is my column in Fox.com on the recent MS NOW interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar. The most impressive aspect of the segment with Chris Hayes was how he could conduct an extended interview without actually asking long-standing, unanswered questions. When it comes to the art of evasion, it was a masterpiece. In case you are curious, here are the questions not asked of Rep. Omar.
Here is the column:
“I am trying to figure out the way to do this.” Those words from MS NOW’s Chris Hayes say all you need to know (and likely all you will get) from his interview on Wednesday with Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. There is a litany of questions the liberal host never asked of Omar. Those questions have only increased over the years, leading to the current criminal investigation into immigration fraud. At points, Hayes sounded more like a supplicant than a journalist given his discomfort with asking pressing questions.
The interview had the journalistic nutritional content of a Slurpee that would give any liberal a sugar high and any non-liberal a stomachache.
Many of us have stressed that these allegations are unproven, and that little evidence has been confirmed to support the underlying criminal charges. However, I have also written that Omar has been remarkably unforthcoming in rebutting the allegations or providing her own exculpatory information. Instead, she has spent years denouncing the allegations as racist or Islamophobic without addressing the specific claims.
While the Biden administration began aspects of these investigations years ago, Omar again sat for another prolonged interview without being pressed (beyond cursory questions) about long-standing allegations.
Hayes exhaustively explored Omar’s feelings and reactions to the recent search while largely avoiding any detailed questions about the very allegations that a Washington, D.C., judge found sufficient to show probable cause of criminal conduct.
It may be useful to consider 10 questions not asked of Ilhan Omar. Asking these questions is not to assume that the underlying claims are true, but to establish the facts from Omar’s perspective.
Immigration fraud
It took 12 minutes for Hayes to mention immigration fraud, and he did so by asking her, “How seriously do you take it?” He then prefaced the fraud question with a laugh, saying, “I am trying to figure out the way to do this that doesn’t sound like I’m insane.”
Hayes then laughed further with Omar about questions of marriage fraud and said, “There are right-wing people who believe” these allegations, after Omar agreed that such questions are “insane.”Hayes made a series of statements about how “there is not even a kernel of truth” to these claims before inviting affirmations from Omar. He then made a general reference to “moving on to other allegations” without any details.
The questions not asked:
- It has been alleged that you are not using your birth name and the government is referring to you as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” What was your name at birth, and have you ever legally changed your name? Are you using a name that is different from your birth name on your birth certificate?
- You stated in the interview that the government did not remove DNA evidence. Various legal experts have said for years that such samples could put the allegation of marrying a relative to rest. Have you ever offered a DNA swab and, if not, why?
- Have you had any contact with your former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, directly or indirectly, since becoming a member of Congress?
- Your father was reportedly a colonel in a brutal Somali regime. Is that true, and did your father fully report his Somali background when applying for citizenship? Also, have you ever confirmed the information your father submitted, and if not, why not?
- You stated that the issue in this case is whether you, as a 12-year-old child, were a mastermind of a fraud. However, that is not the allegation, correct? The allegation is that you obtained citizenship through your father’s naturalization after he represented that you were 17 years old and did not have to file for your own citizenship. Was that accurate, or were you, in fact, 18 years old at the time?
- Your staff reportedly tried to change your birthdate after your election to Congress on federal sites. Did you order this effort, or were you aware of it?
- Do you have conflicting documents showing that you were, in fact, 18 years old when you became a citizen?
- Reports indicate that this investigation changed after your sister sent you messages and that she is now cooperating with federal investigators. Are you aware of what those messages were, and what did she say in them?
Financial fraud
In the interview, when Hayes moved on to Omar’s previous financial disclosure that she and her husband were worth $30 million before dropping to a little over $100,000, he again failed to address allegations that the drop in income was due to fraud. Instead, he asked about her “lifestyle,” then moved on to ask what it is like to be one of the least wealthy members of Congress.
Questions not asked:
- There are reports that the decline in your income was due to a drop in the value of your husband’s winery because of fraudulent practices, including selling empty barrels to investors under the guise of “wine to be aged.” Was that the reason for the adjustment, and when were you first informed of these fraud allegations?
- Your sister Sahra Noor reportedly listed a Minnesota home address when creating her Grit Partners Consulting business, which received millions in government contracts. That same address was used as a residence by figures convicted in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Were you or your sister involved in or aware of the fraudulent activities of Feeding Our Future? Have you ever intervened or taken any action in connection with your sister’s contracts or those of Feeding Our Future?
If Omar had answered them, any of these questions would have produced a scoop, but that was clearly not the purpose of this interview. Instead, Hayes spent more time asking Omar how she felt about former President Barack Obama defending her than asking about the specific fraud allegations she faces.
Never has so much been expressed with so little said.
Hayes culminated the interview by asking, “Do you ever just want to tap out?” and Omar congratulated him on reaching the “real question.”
Unfortunately, MS NOW tapped out of the interview long before that question was asked.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
A “journalist” is someone whose occupation involves collecting, writing, editing, and reporting news for newspapers, magazines, radio, television, or online media. These people are not “journalists” under any stretch of the imagination. They are paid propangandists for the Democrat Party. Anyone who treats anything they offer as journalism or news is ignorant and uninformed. We will get the news about this matter when the indictments and/or civil complaints are filed.
Great post this a.m., Jonathan Turley, and clearly relevant questions! I was struck by Omar’s response as to how this whole thing started, replying that ‘oh, somebody put in there [Somali newspaper] that, you know, he had to have been my brother or something to that effect.’ —Isn’t Omar the same one who said ‘somebody did something’ regarding the 9/11 bombings? Those “somebodies” are becoming little ankle-biters. In any event, Turley notes that the federal court filing identified Omar as”Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” I would acknowledge that her appearance/physical features are similar to her former husband with the same surname, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, now accused of being her brother. https://truthpress.com/news/resurfaced-records-reveal-ilhan-omars-ex-husband-pulled-green-card-bid-when-asked-to-prove-marriage-was-real/ and her sister, https://truthpress.com/news/newly-uncovered-record-reveals-ilhan-omars-ex-husband-shares-surname-with-her-sisters-father/pulled-green-card-bid-when-asked-to-prove-marriage-was-real/ My point being, these allegations are not without warranted foundational theory or circumstantial concern.
(I draw no conclusion that he is her brother, [(or possibly half-brother?)] but simply note the wandering/conflicting pathway to the truth, thereby warranting the questions that Chris Hayes avoided.)
Sort of like Sarah Palin getting interviewed by Fox News, eh?
Mrs. Palin has been out of public office for 17 years and was never notably evasive.
The American people just want answers to a few very simple questions, but interviewers are too frightened to ask THOSE questions!
“interviewers are too frightened to ask THOSE questions!”
Accurate, but incomplete. What those interviewers (and their handlers) are most frightened of is the majority of the voting public learning the answers to those questions.
The Hayes “interview” of Omar was more of “shield from the truth” than a “search for the truth.” Given the general sad and sorry devolution of the Fourth Estate — championed by tools like Hayes — it is little wonder that it is now lampooned as being trusted by the public less than gas station sushi.
JT, I am waiting for the first s@@tlib to call you a ‘nazi’ for noticing.
antonio
Not unlike an addiction, it seems the hard left (what I call the stupid left) needs their daily fix of hate. MSNOW and other stations provide this. Get rid of Chris Hayes, and there will be a new one in days. It’s easy journalism: no fact-checking, no thinking, just a garbage spew. By now, these stations have an AI agent preparing the questions. So, no work as well.
gdonaldallen,
If AI replaced 95% of MSM newsrooms, anchors etc. would anyone really notice?
I can recall a 60 Minutes article in the 80s where they were interviewing The Muppets. It was better than anything MS NOW or Chris Hayes could do.
If AI replaced 95% of MSM newsrooms, anchors etc. would anyone really notice? If? you have proof of that or are you just mouth farting us usual.
“If AI replaced 95% of MSM newsrooms, anchors etc. would anyone really notice?”
Possibly. Even with intent and deliberate manipulation of training data, it might not be possible to force AI to lie and toe the party line as consistently as the despicable live sycophants.
MSM wonders why the American public has little to no trust in them.
On Friday, The Free Press pointed out CBS framing of the France riots as “Scuffles.”
Here is Nellie Bowles, wife of Bari Weiss, brilliant response to it,
“Scuffles! Scuffles about high school student grievances (they later deleted the post). Right. That’s what’s happening there. Gotta say, I love my wife’s new job. She’s a normie lib running a completely normie lib news operation, yet is held up as the World’s Great MAGA leader. What I humbly suggest: It’s time for me—me and the 15 most active members of the TGIF comments section, and you know who you are—to run CBS News. I want 60 Minutes to be doing a long meditation on whether voting should require a fitness test. That’ll give the media blogs something to really sink their teeth into! I want a deep dive into the first moon landing and what exactly happened there. They say she’s doing evil propaganda for the Jews yet all I see are stories about West Bank settlers, my sweet, gentle wife. The kids need more of your time, honey. We can do this power transfer with dignity. Just leave the laptop open when you go to sleep, and I’ll know it’s your sign for me to take a swing at it.”
MSM wonders why the American public has little to no trust in them. NO THEY DO NOT. Its a worn out lie. At least get creative.
You’re always posting quotes, can’t you possibly generate material of your own? Guess not. No HS Diploma. WTF in the USA in 2026 doesn’t have a HS Diploma? upstatefarmer of course.
MS WHO? Does anyone even watch that Dung Heap of a Faux News Show? That’s where ‘journalists’ go to end their career before retirement or irrelevance. The Parade of Degenerates is endless on that Comedy Show. Ilhan will be their ‘foreign correspondent’ once she is expelled from Congress.
It is now 8:58 this a.m. You started at the top of the comments @8:00 and raked through every one, adding disparaging comments about the comment-not any facts. What facts did you offer? N.O.N.E. It’s a pattern that makes you discernible every morning. Tells us more about you than the commenters you attack.
Is this the way to start the day, whining before you had a chance to take a p_oop.
We’ve allowed corrupt politicians and their media to con us for so long we’re numb to what they’re doing to us. The question is, is it to late to set things right?
MS Now, Chris Hayes and others of that ilk manifest the soft bigotry of low expectations for the intelligence of the low information voter, useful tools, who are their lawful prey.
Professor Turley calls the event an “interview”. Let’s think about that. It was voluntary. Why did she (whatever her name may be) do it? Why did MS NOW do it? Why did Chris Hayes do it? Did any of them do it to reveal relevant facts? Did any of them do it to satisfy people with questions? Or did all of them do it for other reasons?
Its called a national news item. That’s why. There was only one person in the interview with questions. Other reasons? You asked, so answer it.
Esq, it’s entertainment.
Compare and contrast that interview with EVERY interview given to EVERY host and EVERY outlet by EVERY Republican including gentlemen and respected officials such as Scott Bessent and Marco Rubio. The same “moderators” will sneer, attack, counter, accuse and cajole any non-Republican that is naïve enough to go on their broadcast.
Compare and contrast… okay, you do the heavy lifting and get back to us. What a stupid comment.
“will sneer, attack, counter, accuse and cajole any non-Republican that is naïve enough to go on their broadcast.”
So, if they already know that, then why do they go into the den of the lions?
Wait, wait, … gentlemen and respected officials? Then this” “moderates”?
You can tell a lot about someone by who is against them. Please see the Anonymous morons that disagree with my comment.
What exactly can you tell us then? Go on, lets see it.
BTW, where in the above comment is the word “against” or “disagreed”?
Who was it that said “The media is the enemy of the people”?
Donald J. Trump!
Hahahahahahahahahah …
Her answer to this question must be a first in the history of evasion:
“Did you marry your brother?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
Not at all. Donald Trump did you rape E. Jean Carroll. “She just imagined it; an episode of Law & Order.”
Excellent example of Trump’s direct denial vs. Ilhan’s hedging! And a piss poor hedging it was! She successfully made herself look guilty and filthy at the same time. Very well done.
I’m sure you thought you were being clever because you lack critical thinking skills or reading comprehension. Swing and a miss.
. . . . .but she is a Democrat!
Most intelligent people are.
Masterful job by Chris Hayes, now do Donald Trump.
“journalistic nutritional content of a Slurpee”. How apt to our times. Bartender, a Pulitzer for the good professor.
Nothing new here, this is how Somalis operate. The evidence will show she is a fake, a fraud and a scammer. Out of Congress, out of the country, after some prison time. What is even more pathetic is the Democrats will continue to support her.
“this is how Somalis operate…” How do you know that for a fact? Are you one. In other words, Americans are not thieves, crooks and liars?
Those Somalians you denigrate are in fact American citizens. Therefore Americans are thieves, crooks and liars.
Another gem of an argument:
Those apples you denigrate as rotten are in fact fruit. Therefore fruit is rotten.
Apples? Where in the comment do you read apples?
So Somalians = apples. Rotten apples = Americans. The white ones!
Somalian’s are predominately of the Islamic faith, no? We know what that means.
We? And what do “we” know?
@Robert
Strictly speaking, Islam is a system of governance, not a faith. In most Islamic-ruled countries, you do not get to choose whether or not you participate. In freer countries, if one participates, they do not get to choose which rules they follow or not. Sharia Law is exactly what it sounds like, and there has never been a fracturing or reformation as with Christianity. Modern Islam is literally medieval Islam. This is not an opinion.
Are you an Islamic scholar James? What does Sharia Law sounds like?
Yes,James, it’s a political system and its constitution is the koran. It’s governing body are clerics and allegedly descendents of Mohammed. Other islamic nations are kingdoms and principalities. The year 500 AD. Amazing isn’t it.
Additionally, James, DJT, President of the United States of America just bombed and assassinated the alleged 38th descendent of Mohammad, the Ayotollah Khomeini…
😂 The guy has some chutzpah! Gotta laugh. 😂.
“. . . this is how Somalis operate.”
And that is the story.
She and her fellow fraudsters in Minnesota come from a Somali culture of tribalism and grab what you can. It is no accident that they landed in Minnesota to loot our welfare system, and to enjoy the encouragement and protection of D politicians (Omar, Ellison, Walz). Birds of a feather.
“culture of tribalism and grab what you can.” That certainly sounds like Americans, the white ones, right? And do recall that Europeans landed in MN too. After they drove off the natives of course. And exploited them. Sounds like typical colonists.
What welfare system? There are several in MN. But, like good hard working Americans they are entitled to the fruits of government, democracy and capitalism, just like the international mega corporations, who do a lot more economic damage.
It is now 8:58 this a.m. You started at the top of the comments @8:00 and raked through every one, adding disparaging comments about the comment-not any facts. What facts did you offer? N.O.N.E. It’s a pattern that makes you discernible every morning. Tells us more about you than the commenters you attack.
Who is “you” anon? Go watch cartoons.
You comment as anonymous, do you realize that? Disparaging comments? What did you just post?
I’m curious, you wrote, “fellow fraudsters in Minnesota”. So how “fraudsters” many are there in MN?
Fraudsters many there are. It looks like the trolls are now being offshored to non-English speaking countries.