Omar was calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment when the man approached her.
MINNEAPOLIS — A man wearing a black jacket was tackled to the ground after spraying an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Omar was calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment when a man approached her with a syringe and sprayed her. It is unknown what the substance was, and the man was detained, according to KING 5’s Sharon Yoo, who witnessed the incident. The man was immediately arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Jail for third-degree assault, according to Minneapolis police. He has not yet been formally charged.
The congresswoman’s office issued a statement following the incident.
“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe,” Omar’s office said in a statement shared on X Tuesday. “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.”
The Minnesota congresswoman said she was “ok” in a statement shared on X.
“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong,” Omar said.
The audience cheered as he was pinned down and his arms were tied behind his back. In the video of the incident, someone in the crowd can be heard saying, “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her.” Omar continued the town hall after the man was ushered out of the room by her security detail, saying she would not be intimidated. Journalists said there was a strong, vinegar-like smell when the man pushed on the syringe.
Walking out afterward, Omar said she felt a little flustered but was not hurt. She was going to be screened by a medical team.
Omar was holding the town hall in the wake of the recent shooting involving federal immigration officials in the city.
Hours earlier on Tuesday, the president criticized Omar as he spoke to a crowd in Iowa, saying his administration would only let in immigrants who “can show that they love our country.”
“They have to be proud, not like Ilhan Omar,” he said, drawing loud boos at the mention of her name.
He added, “She comes from a country that’s a disaster. So probably, it’s considered, I think — it’s not even a country.”
Fellow U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, R-S.C., denounced the assault on Omar.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today” Mace said via the social platform X. “Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, also condemned the attack on X, saying: “Unacceptable. Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk.”
He added that he was relieved that Omar “is OK” and thanked police for their quick response, concluding: “This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”
The attack came days after a man was arrested in Utah for allegedly punching U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, in the face during the Sundance Film Festival and saying Trump was going to deport him.
Threats against members of Congress have increased in recent years, peaking in 2021 and the aftermath of that year’s Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, before dipping slightly only to climb again, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Capitol Police.
Lawmakers have discussed the chill the threats bring on their ability to hold town halls and public events, with some even citing the threat environment in their decisions not to seek reelection.
Omar has faced the most particular concern, long targeted with harsh language and personal attacks by Trump and other Republicans.