Trump administration officials are reportedly giving a federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar a nickname that sounds less like a case file and more like a rejected history textbook title: “World War Eleven.” The Washington Post reported that a senior administration official confirmed the name, saying the investigation has accelerated in recent weeks. The reported reason for the nickname is the uproar it could cause.
The Gateway Pundit reported that federal agents raided Omar’s Washington, DC-area residence early Monday morning as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into her immigration paperwork. Fox News Digital reported that the pre-dawn raid was connected to a criminal fraud investigation involving documents filled out by Omar’s late father when she was a child.
According to information published on Omar’s website, she arrived in the United States in March 1995, when she was 12 years old. She came with her family as a Somali refugee after spending approximately four years in a refugee camp in Kenya. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000, at age 17. Multiple agents wearing HSI jackets were observed outside the residence at about 6 a.m.
That is the serious part of the story. The nickname is where the administration’s trolling department apparently decided to make an entrance. “World War Eleven” refers to a viral video from one of Omar’s press conferences that resurfaced in April. In the clip, Omar was discussing the Alien Enemies Act and made a historical error that was difficult to miss, even for viewers who had not recently opened a history book.
“Last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked it was used to detain and deport German, Japanese, Italian immigrants during World War eleven.”
The video circulated with the following shorter quote from Omar: “The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked… during World War ELEVEN.” Apparently, ordinary references to World War II were unavailable that day. Somewhere, the calendar is still trying to explain what happened.
The administration’s wordplay is plainly political, but it also draws attention to why accuracy matters when elected officials discuss immigration laws and major historical events. The report describes an investigation into possible criminal immigration fraud, not a final finding of guilt. For now, the unusual nickname is tied to a resurfaced gaffe, a reported federal raid, and a case that has drawn plenty of attention before reaching any final resolution.
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