In more aftermath and outrage coverage over the raid on Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s Home on Monday, MS NOW’s Ken Dilanian continued his previous defense and disdain for the raid by implying there are many “fudged facts” on immigration papers. Tuesday’s Morning Joe also joined the defense of Omar amid the raid and called it “deeply unorthodox" and "concerning."
On MS NOW’s The Moment, host Katy Tur first gave a mild defense of Omar and said, “There's obviously a pattern here, and it would be crazy not to address the pattern and fit her into the context. But again, we have not seen the underlying evidence.”
She then questioned the location of the raid and asked Dilanian, “Why her D.C. home? If it is about immigration and fraud on paperwork, why the D.C. home?”
MS NOW’s Ken Dilanian has made a new defense for Rep. Ilhan Omar in a possible investigation into her: There will probably be a lot of cases of “fudged facts” if you look at everybody’s refugee and naturalization paperwork. pic.twitter.com/XmOCoOGji7
— Nick (@nspin310) October 12, 2026
Dilanian then mentioned, “We’re all speculating here, right,” before he noted that the investigation may be about Omar lying about her age amid her immigration process and subsequent naturalization as a citizen:
For example, if the issue is what was her age in 2000 wasn't 17 or 18, there may be evidence inside that home. There may be a birth certificate, there may be diaries, there may be all kinds of family photos. I mean, these are the kind of things that crop up in an investigation.
Then Dilanain made his big defense:
I think the larger issue is we all know that if you scrutinize every refugee case, everybody who came here as a refugee and then became naturalized, and you went through that with a fine-tooth comb, you would find a lot of cases, perhaps, where people fudged facts, where things weren't all as they were represented.
After he declared there were likely many cases of “fudged facts” on immigration papers as if that were not a scandal in itself, he complained about the resources used for the raid and Omar investigation. He added, “I think what's really at the heart of this case is this on the level, or are they doing this because it's an outspoken critic of the president who's been targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories for more than a decade?”
Tuesday’s Morning Joe continued MS NOW’s defense of Ilhan Omar, as Joe Scarborough called the Trump Administration "hypocrites.”
Jonathan Lemire then called the investigation and raid “deeply unorthodox." pic.twitter.com/CXqf4vX81s— Nick (@nspin310) October 13, 2026
Tuesday’s Morning Joe followed with more Omar defense the following morning, as Joe Scarborough called Republicans “hypocrites” after the complaints over previous weaponization.
Legal reporter Fallon Gallagher then gave a tame explanation and said, “There’s still a lot of questions,” and added, “Allegedly, they're investigating fraud. It's a little bit unclear what that fraud is.”
Gallagher continued, “We understand that there might be some sort of a fraud investigation tied to her citizenship when she gained citizenship. At this point, it's very early in the investigation, and it's unclear where this is going, if they're actually going to bring any sort of charges, but it seems to be some sort of a fraud investigation tied to her.”
Scarborough then complained more about the investigation being close to the midterm elections, even though Omar would likely cruise to reelection in a deep-blue seat. Jonathan Lemire added and complained Omar was someone who “the right-wing has gone after repeatedly.”
Lemire then complained the raid and its timing were “deeply unorthodox and, to many, concerning.”
Dilanain’s claim of there being many possible cases of “fudged facts” on immigration papers was also “concerning.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
MS NOW’s The Moment with Katy Tur
October 13, 2026
2:13:51 PM Eastern
(...)
KATY TUR: There's obviously a pattern here, and it would be crazy not to address the pattern and fit her into the context. But again, we have not seen the underlying evidence. What about what Cristian was just raising, Ken?
Why her D.C. home? If it is about immigration and fraud on paperwork, why the D.C. Home?
KEN DILANIAN: Well, I mean, we're all speculating here, right? But you can think of a lot of different possibilities. For example, if the issue is what was her age in 2000 wasn't 17 or 18, there may be evidence inside that home. There may be a birth certificate, there may be diaries, there may be all kinds of family photos. I mean, these are the kind of things that crop up in an investigation.
I think the larger issue is we all know that if you scrutinize every refugee case, everybody who came here as a refugee and then became naturalized, and you went through that with a fine-tooth comb, you would find a lot of cases, perhaps, where people fudged facts, where things weren't all as they were represented.
The question here is the federal government has a limited amount of resources. Where are they directing those investigative resources? Are they doing it in a fair way or a vindictive way? That's, I think what's really at the heart of this case is this on the level, or are they doing this because it's an outspoken critic of the president who's been targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories for more than a decade?
(...)
MS NOW's Morning Joe
October 13, 2026
6:41:03 AM Eastern
JOE SCARBOROUGH: So, Fallon, yesterday I saw a response from Tim Carney, a guy who we had on our show last week, who said, ‘Hey, I'm a conservative. And I think Congresswoman Omar may be corrupt, I don't know, but this is perverse.' The fact that you have three weeks before an election, the FBI raiding a politician's home, it is just - it’s unheard of, uncalled for. And once again, all the hypocrites around Donald Trump saying, ‘Oh, let's, you know, not politicize the DOJ. How dare Democrats do it.’ They did it three weeks before an election. Tell us what happened here.
FALLON GALLAGHER: Yeah. At this point, there's still a lot of questions about what actually happened here. But we know that yesterday, very early in the morning, Homeland Security Investigations raided Representative Ilhan Omar's house. Allegedly, they're investigating fraud. It's a little bit unclear what that fraud is.
SCARBOROUGH: HSI. Not FBI.
GALLAGHER: HSI, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security -
SCARBOROUGH: Right
GALLAGHER: - raided her house. We understand that there might be some sort of a fraud investigation tied to her citizenship when she gained citizenship. At this point, it's very early in the investigation, and there it's unclear where this is going, if they're actually going to bring any sort of charges, but it seems to be some sort of a fraud investigation tied to her.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah. And so the headline, though, all you need is the headline: federal agents. Federal agents raid the home, again, of a congresswoman three weeks before her election.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Right. Weaponizing the Department of Justice and other agencies of the federal government, in this case, DHS. But obviously, Congresswoman Omar has long been a target of Trump's ire. She has become someone the right-wing has gone after repeatedly. Minnesota has been in their crosshairs for years now. So, yeah, as Fallon said, there's a lot about this we don't know, and the federal government being very opaque about what is happening here. But certainly the minimum the timing is, is deeply unorthodox and, to many, concerning.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
(...)
