在美国司法部，这一时期被称为“静默期”：即选举前60天，检察官不得对当选官员采取任何法律行动。据《华盛顿邮报》报道，这一规定的目的就是“确保执法行动不会影响选举结果，也不会被视作试图左右选举”。然而本周，特朗普政府却公然无视这一长期存在的惯例，以开展刑事调查为名，下令对民主党众议员伊尔汉·奥马尔的住所实施搜查。
At the Justice Department, it’s known as the “blackout period”: the 60 days leading up to an election when prosecutors refrain from taking actions against elected officials. As The Washington Post reported the policy is intended to “ensure that law enforcement actions do not influence elections and are not perceived as attempting to sway elections.”This week, the Trump administration made clear its indifference to this longstanding norm, launching a search on the home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, as part of an apparent criminal investigation.
随即，向来对这位明尼苏达州女议员心怀不满的唐纳德·特朗普也借机继续对她发起攻击，称其“是个糟糕透顶的人”。不过同样值得注意的是，总统还试图与此次法律程序划清界限。
On cue, Donald Trump, who’s made no effort to hide his contempt for the Minnesota congresswoman, followed up on the search by continuing his lengthy crusade against her, condemning Omar as “a terrible person.”But just as notably, the president made an effort to distance himself from the ongoing legal process.
据NBC新闻报道，周一下午特朗普对伊尔汉·奥马尔发表了诸多贬损言论，称她“品行不端”“是个糟糕的人”，同时坚称自己与联邦探员搜查她在华盛顿特区的住所一事毫无关联。
NBC News reported Trump made disparaging comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., [on Monday afternoon], calling her “crooked” and a “terrible person,” while saying that he had “nothing to do” with federal the search of her home in Washington, D.C., by federal agents.
“我个人一直觉得她品行不端，但这与我毫无关系。我认为她是个糟糕的人，只会抱怨个不停，”特朗普对记者说道，“我觉得她是个糟糕的人，不过这终究要由司法部来决定。我与此事毫无关系。”然而事实远非如此简单。
“I’ve always found her to be totally crooked personally, but that has nothing to do with me. I think she’s a terrible person, just a complainer,” Trump told reporters. “I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it.”It’s not nearly that simple.
今年早些时候，总统曾通过自己的社交媒体平台公开发表了与奥马尔相关的言论。这位共和党人写道：“她应该进监狱，甚至应该受到更严厉的惩罚，被遣送回索马里——那个世界上最糟糕的国家之一。”几天后，特朗普又补充道：“她应该因经济犯罪与政治犯罪接受调查，而且调查必须立刻开始！”在随后的数周乃至数月里，政府官员们确实着手对这位明尼苏达州女议员展开了调查。
Earlier this year, the president used his social media platform to issue a public declaration of sorts related to Omar. “She should be in jail,”the Republican wrote“or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalia, considered one of the absolutely worst countries in the World.”Days later, Trump published a follow-up adding, “She should be investigated for Financial and Political Crimes, and that investigation should start, NOW!”In the weeks and months that followed, the administration officials did, in fact, advance an investigation into the Minnesotan.
换句话说，整个事件的发展过程可分为三个阶段：第一阶段：特朗普公开要求对奥马尔展开调查。第二阶段：特朗普政府正式对奥马尔展开调查。
In other words, the broader circumstances unfolded in three steps: Part 1: Trump publicly demanded an investigation into Omar. Part 2: The Trump administration opened an investigation into Omar.
第三阶段：尽管发生了第一阶段的事情，特朗普却装作与第二阶段毫无关联。
Part 3: Trump pretends he had nothing to do with Part 2, despite Part 1.
至于后续进展，《纽约时报》报道称，联邦特工已向奥马尔的一些亲属发出传票，“目前相关官员正在仔细查阅其家族历史，试图寻找移民申请文件中存在欺诈或虚假陈述的证据”。让我们拭目以待。
As for the process moving forward, The New York Times reported that federal agents have issued subpoenas to some of Omar’s relatives “as officials scour her family’s history for evidence of fraud and false statements in immigration paperwork.”Watch this space. The post Trump pretends he’s detached from Ilhan Omar investigation, despite recent history MS NOW