President Donald Trump has his favorite riffs during campaign rallies.
asserted
Trump → have → rallies
He’s recently complimented the physique of Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio.
asserted
He → compliment → Husted
He still calls out former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
asserted
He → call → Biden
But in recent weeks, the president spun Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., into heavy rotation on his playlist.
asserted
president → spin → playlist
The Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department are now probing Omar for alleged immigration fraud and financial disclosure reports.
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Department → probe → fraud
"What she did was use a fake name and other things that are fake," the president groused about Omar.
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president → use → Omar
"She used the fake name to be sworn in.
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She → use → name
I assume she must immediately resign from Congress."
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she → assume → Congress
Trump argued that Democrats "just conceded her seat."
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Democrats → argue → seat
They didn’t.
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They → do → ?
And the president declared that "she will not be legally allowed to be a member of that august body of politicians."
Not accurate.
The president doesn’t decide who gets to sit in Congress.
asserted
who → declare → Congress
Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution grants that power to the House and Senate.
asserted
Article → grant → House
It charges both bodies with authority to "be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members."
asserted
It → charge → Members
The Constitution goes on to say that the House and Senate may "punish its Members for Disorderly Behavior; and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.
uncertain
House → go → Member
We bring up those responsibilities because it’s possible that the House may need to tangle with the "qualifications" of Omar.
uncertain
House → bring → Omar
Especially since the New York Times reported that the Minnesota Democrat faced scrutiny by the Obama-era Justice Department in 2016.
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Democrat → report → 2016
Moreover, that inquiry says the feds found evidence that she may have entered into a fraudulent marriage.
uncertain
she → say → marriage
If that’s the case, there could be questions about Omar’s citizenship.
uncertain
that → ’ → citizenship
And thus, whether she’s even permitted to serve in Congress.
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she → permit → Congress
Especially if it’s found she was naturalized as a citizen via bogus means
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she → find → means
Especially if they seize control of the House after the midterms next week.
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they → seize → midterms
The inquiry into Omar began in 2016 when she ran for the state legislature.
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she → begin → legislature
The investigation continued into the Biden administration.
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investigation → continue → administration
The feds terminated the inquiry in 2021.
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feds → terminate → 2021
After the Trump administration raided Omar’s home in October — seizing electronics and documents — Obama defended the congresswoman.
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Obama → raid → congresswoman
"It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say," the former president said.
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president → target → what
"But that’s exactly what the Trump administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar."
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administration → ’ → Omar
Obama said the current inquiry flipped her life "upside down" and characterized it as an effort to "intimidate someone."
Controversial influencer and livestreamer Hasan Piker asked Omar about how her week was going amid the investigation.
"It tracks for me," replied Omar.
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Omar → say → me
"That’s kind of what I’m used to."
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I → ’ → what
A spokeswoman for Omar said that she "has repeatedly and unequivocally denied this baseless, disgusting conspiracy theory."
But indications that Omar faced scrutiny ten years ago make it harder to characterize this as wild, right-wing conjecture emanating from the blogosphere.
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it → say → blogosphere
"Who ordered [the investigation] closed?" asked Fox contributor Paul Mauro.
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Mauro → order → ?
"Reportedly, both administrations had opened cases into this.
uncertain
administrations → open → this
We now know how much smoke there is."
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We → know → ?
Omar campaigned for the state legislature in 2016.
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Omar → campaign → 2016
Her campaign released a letter from the U.S. attorney saying it "wasn’t investigating" nor requesting an inquiry into Omar.
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it → release → Omar
So was she cleared?
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she → clear → ?
Or does word of the old probe pour petrol on the flames?
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word → pour → flames
"Omar will talk about and say, ‘They've looked into this.
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They → talk → this
Nothing came about it,’" said University of Minnesota political science professor Kathryn Pearson.
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Pearson → come → Minnesota
"But I think it's also a talking point that Republicans will use.
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Republicans → think → that
…and 32 more, not listed.
The Aporia
