Axelrod questions timing of Omar raid weeks before election

Democratic strategist David Axelrod on Monday questioned the timing of the federal raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) home.

“We do not know the nature of the probe against Omar. But it is highly unlikely that it’s so serious and urgent that the government felt they needed to act publicly three weeks before the election instead of after,” Axelrod said in a post on the social platform X .

“Unless that’s precisely WHY they acted now, not to defeat her–they can’t–but to stir up the muck in MN to try and win a senate seat,” he added.

On Monday morning , federal agents searched Omar’s home in an ongoing criminal investigation. Homeland Security Investigations agents carried out the search, a spokesperson with the Department of Justice (DOJ) told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network.

“This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation,” the DOJ said in the statement.

Omar blasted the raid on social media, referring to it as “political intimidation.”

“I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” she wrote on the social platform X. “For ten years, [President] Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.”

Trump referred to the Minnesota Democrat as “totally crooked” in his first comments since the raid on Monday.

“Well, I understand they’re looking at her very carefully,” Trump told reporters. “I’ve always found her to be totally crooked personally, but that has nothing to do with me.”

“I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ [Department of Justice],” he continued. “I have nothing to do with it.”

The Hill has reached out to the DOJ for comment.