Topline
During a town hall event on Tuesday evening, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was attacked by a man who lunged at her and sprayed her with an unknown liquid. The event, held in her Congressional district, focused on discussing the immigration policies of the Trump administration.
The incident occurred shortly after Omar advocated for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The attacker approached Omar and used what appeared to be a syringe to spray the Congresswoman with a substance that emitted a strong odor.
Security personnel quickly subdued the man, bringing him to the ground before he was placed under arrest.
Despite the alarming interruption, Omar chose to continue addressing the audience, even as her staff and security team advised her to seek medical attention first.
Addressing the crowd, Omar stated, “Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand. We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
She then told the crowd. “Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand…We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
How Has President Donald Trump Reacted To The Incident?
Omar, who is an immigrant from Somalia, has been a recurring target of President Donald Trump’s attacks. While speaking to ABC News on Tuesday night, Trump was asked whether he had seen a video of the attack on Omar, and said, “No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. I really don’t think about that.” The president then baselessly claimed: “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” despite the attacker being arrested and charged with third degree assault. During a rally in Iowa just hours before the incident, Trump said immigrants won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. unless they show “they can love our country…Not like Ilhan Omar.” He then continued his attacks on Omar and her country of birth, Somalia, saying: “She comes from a country that’s a disaster…They’re good at one thing. Pirates.”
This is a developing story.
