The claim: AIPAC supported Ilhan Omar’s primary race opponent
An Aug. 13 Threads post ( direct link , archive link ) claims a pro-Israel group was involved in Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s primary race against Don Samuels.
“Ilhan Omar beats AIPAC & their candidate in primary,” reads the post, referencing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The post was liked more than 200 times in three days. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Threads and X , formerly Twitter .
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Our rating: False
Both the committee, more commonly known as AIPAC, and a spokesperson for Samuels said the group was not involved in the race. Samuels does not appear on the organization’s list of supported candidates.
AIPAC-supported candidates are publicly listed
The claim came after Omar defeated the more moderate Samuels in the Aug. 13 primary election .
AIPAC was previously credited with helping oust Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman of New York from their positions in their respective primary races.
But unlike Bush and Bowman's opponents – prosecutor Wesley Bell and Westchester County Executive George Latimer – Samuels is not included in the organization's list of endorsed candidates .
AIPAC was "not involved in this race," spokesperson Marshall Wittmann said.
Omar accused Samuels of courting AIPAC support in an Aug. 11 news release , which prompted Samuels to write that the organization "has not endorsed me nor spent money on this race" in an Aug. 12 X post .
Samuels campaign manager Joe Radinovich also told USA TODAY the campaign "did not receive any endorsement or support from AIPAC" in the primary,
Politico also reported the group stayed out of the Minnesota race.
Fact check : No, Trump did not say Israel 'hypnotized the world.' He was quoting Omar
USA TODAY has debunked an array of claims involving Omar, including false assertions that she pledged loyalty to Somalia instead of the U.S., that CNN reported she said to “get rid of the Jews to end antisemitism” and a false implication that she was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2024.
USA TODAY reached out to Omar's office and several users who shared the post for comment. An X user acknowledged AIPAC had no direct involvement in the campaign.
Our fact-check sources:
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee, accessed Aug. 15, Support Pro-Israel Candidates
- Joe Radinovich , Aug. 15, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- Marshall Wittmann , Aug. 15, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- Politico, Aug. 13, Ilhan Omar fends off challengers to win primary after AIPAC stays out of the race
- Don Samuels, Aug. 12, X post
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AIPAC involved in New York, Missouri Democratic primaries, not Minnesota's | Fact check
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