A former refugee and the first black Muslim woman elected to Congress, Ilhan Omar embodied the American dream in her November victory but faces controversies fueled by her own words and President Donald Trump's hostility toward her.
Since her January swearing-in, the 37-year-old Minnesota Democrat has been at the center of a swirling debate about anti-Semitism, discrimination and the role of an outspoken first-year congresswoman who challenges the White House and makes her own party's leadership chafe.
"I just happen to embody all of those identities," Omar said on Colbert's CBS show last week.
Trump's startling tweet prompted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most high-ranking Democrat in the country, to denounce his "hateful and inflammatory rhetoric" and demand he take the video down, as she ordered a security review to safeguard Omar and her family.