After billionaire Elon Musk posted a "manipulated" video from a right-wing X account and accused Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota of "breaking the law," she fired right back.
It all began after Musk shared a clip from a right-wing account that claimed Omar "is conducting seminars for Somalians who are living illegally in the U.S. without documentation, providing guidance on how to evade deportation.”
Musk said:
"She is breaking the law. Literally. Outright."
You can see his post below.
Under the U.S. Constitution, undocumented migrants are entitled to several legal protections, including the right to due process. The Fifth Amendment states, “No person … shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
Omar shamed him for his ignorance of U.S. law with the following response:
“Hey Elon, Every single person in this country deserves to know their rights. That’s legal.”
“Maybe you should brush up on our laws given the fact you’re breaking them to steal American’s sensitive data. PS. This video is manipulated, and I wasn’t even at the event shown."
You can see her post below.
Omar's post referenced the recent reports that Musk, via his unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has gained control of the Treasury Department's payment system.
DOGE now has access to the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service—a unit responsible for disbursing trillions in payments annually, including Social Security checks and federal salaries.
Musk's access to this payment system is raising concerns, particularly following the White House’s recent freeze on federal grants and loans, which led to widespread confusion across federal assistance programs, nonprofits, and among aid recipients.
Although the White House later rescinded the freeze and a judge intervened to halt it, DOGE’s control over the Treasury’s payment system has sparked concerns about the administration’s ability to suspend funding for key programs like Medicare and Social Security. It has also raised questions about the task force’s access to the personal and financial data of millions of taxpayers.
Many joined her in calling Musk out.
The recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which established DOGE, instructed all agencies to ensure it had "full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems." However, DOGE is not officially a federal department.
DOGE gained control of the Treasury’s payment system after the resignation of Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary, David Lebryk, who stepped down following more than 30 years of service. His departure came after Musk and DOGE requested access to sensitive Treasury data.
Notably, Musk launched his attack against Omar just days after announcing that DOGE halted payments from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Lutheran Family Services, a faith-based charity that provided social services to refugees.
