Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown liquid after her speech denouncing ICE during a town hall in Minneapolis.
On Tuesday (January 27), the 43-year-old congresswoman was speaking at her first in-person town hall of the year when the incident took place.
The 43-year-old congresswoman had only just begun addressing the crowd when she called for the abolition of ICE and demanded the resignation or impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
It was then that a man seated near the front rushed the podium, shouting at Omar before spraying her with an unknown substance.
The Somali-born politician walked toward the man after the assault, but he was quickly tackled to the ground by a security guard.
People inside the community center were left shocked as the scene unfolded.
“Oh my god, he sprayed something on her!” a woman can be heard saying.
Another attendee urged Omar to seek immediate medical attention.
However, the congresswoman, who has long been a political target of President Trump, refused to leave the stage.
“We’re going to keep talking...Please don’t let them have a show," she told the audience.
As she left the town hall, a defiant Omar told reporters: “I’ve survived war. And I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think they can throw at me, because I’m built that way," per The Guardian.
Omar's Statement After The Attack
The congresswoman's office released a statement after the incident, condemning the man, and confirmed that she was unharmed
“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe,” it read.
“Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual.
"He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win," they added.
The U.S. Capitol Police revealed that the assailant, who is in custody, will “be met with swift justice," and said they will be working with federal partners "to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society".
Political Reactions to the Attack
The attack on Omar sparked widespread outrage from both sides of the political spectrum.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, said: “Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis,” adding: “We can disagree without putting people at risk…This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”
Jasmine Crockett, the Democratic representative from Texas, also shared in a post that she was “disgusted” and “outraged”.
“Let’s be clear: nonstop hate and dangerous rhetoric from [Donald] Trump and his allies has fueled this type of violence," she wrote.
Even Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who has often disagreed with Omar’s rhetoric, wrote that no elected official should face physical violence, no matter their political views.
"This is not who we are," Mace said.
Trump’s Comments on the Attack
The incident comes after repeated derogatory remarks from President Trump about Omar, particularly regarding her Somali heritage and her criticism of his administration’s policies.
He has labeled Somali immigrants as “garbage” and called for Omar, who became the first Somali-American, first African-born American, and one of the first two Muslim American women to serve in the US Congress, to be deported or face imprisonment.
Just hours before the attack, at an event in Iowa, Trump again singled out the congresswoman, saying: “We need people to come in legally, but they have to show that they can love our country, not hate our country."
"They have to show that they can love our country. They have to be proud. Not like Ilhan Omar... she comes from a country that’s a disaster. It’s not even a country," he added.
When asked by an ABC reporter about the incident, he reportedly dismissed the attack, saying: “No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud...I really don’t think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."
When asked again if he had seen the video, his response was: “I haven’t seen it. No, no. I hope I don't have to bother.”
Omar’s remarks come amid heightened tensions in Minnesota, particularly regarding the actions of federal immigration agents.
The state has seen protests following the recent shooting deaths of Renee Good, a mother of three, by an ICE agent, and VA nurse Alex Pretti.
The White House initially vowed to increase immigration enforcement operations, but in recent days, there has been a shift toward de-escalation.
On January 27, President Trump said he had spoken with Democratic Governor Tim Walz, calling the conversation “a very good call,” and said, “We, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength," NBC News reported.
The next day, the president told Fox News, “We’re going to de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota, although he insisted: “I don’t think this is a pullback," cited by BBC News.