Obama's lengthy reaction to Omar investigation triggers instant backlash: 'Spare me'

By Fox News · Fox News

Former President Barack Obama sparked an online firestorm on Sunday after posting his support for Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., amid multiple federal investigations into her immigration status and finances. "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," Obama wrote. "But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota." The former president went on to explain in the lengthy post that the Omar situation is "appalling" and suggested the reason she is facing an investigation is that she is a critic of the Trump administration. "Think about that," Obama said. "The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president." ILHAN OMAR'S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS Obama added, "The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views." Obama’s post, viewed over 5 million times, was quickly blasted by conservatives, many of whom pointed to the political targeting that occurred during his administration, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) going after Tea Party groups and the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into then-candidate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. "This cannot be real," conservative commentator and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino posted on X . "This petty tyrant lecturing us about ‘American democracy’ is like being lectured by a screaming five-year-old about self-control. Sit down Mr. President, everyone knows who you really are." "Think about the utter gall of the man behind the Russian collusion hoax, and who, along with his henchmen and hitmen, helped bloom a mill…