...
By Anna Commander and Gabe Whisnant
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A man wearing a black jacket was tackled to the ground after spraying an unknown substance at Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar during a town-hall meeting she was hosting Tuesday in Minneapolis.
Audience members cheered as the man was restrained and his arms were secured behind his back. In video footage from the event, someone in the crowd can be heard saying, “Oh my God, he sprayed something on her.” Omar was not visibly injured and continued the town hall in northern Minneapolis after the assailant was removed.
Read More on News
Moments before the disruption, Omar had called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, saying, “ICE cannot be reformed.”
Omar continued after the attack, "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."
Minneapolis police told Newsweek that officers working at the town hall observed the man "use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid onto US Representative Ilhan Omar."
The man was then arrested and booked on a third-degree assault charge, police say, adding that Omar was "uninjured" and that she resumed speaking at the event.
Minneapolis forensic scientists also responded to the scene. It is immediately unclear what substance was sprayed on the congresswoman.
...
President Donald Trump has frequently criticized Omar and has intensified verbal attacks against the Minnesota Democrat in recent months as his administration has focused on immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. During a Cabinet meeting in December, Trump referred to Omar as “garbage,” adding that “her friends are garbage.”
Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, denounced the assault on Omar.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today” Mace said on 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.”
Omar took to X later Tuesday night to say she is "ok."
"I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work," she added. "I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong."
In a statement sent to Newsweek via email on Tuesday night, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said, "We strongly condemn the attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar at her community town hall, which comes after years of racist and Islamophobic incitement against her.
"We call on all members of Congress to condemn this assault, which was entirely predictable. The dangerous incitement that politicians like President Trump, pro-Israel lobby groups like AIPAC, and anti-Muslim hate groups have spent years spewing against Rep. Omar must end immediately.
"We commend Rep. Omar for her courage in continuing to speak out for justice here and abroad, despite the hate and threats she has faced for doing so. The American Muslim community stands in solidarity with her. An attack on Rep. Omar is an attack on all of us and on the rule of law."
Staunch Trump supporter and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer also took to X: "This is the most staged thing I have ever seen in my life. I’m calling for an immediate investigation into whether @IlhanMN Ilhan Omar staged the spraying of her body at her Townhall tonight to distract from new reports over her marriage fraud and accumulation of $30 million worth of wealth on a $180,000 per year salary."
Loomer, a self-described "proud Isamophobe," added, "There must be an investigation into this known fraudster. This looks very staged, and I would not be surprised if Ilhan set this up herself so she could cry victim as President Trump is exposing her and as Congress and the DOJ are investigating her and her husband."
The incident followed the arrest of a man in Utah accused of punching U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat, during the Sundance Film Festival and telling him Trump was going to deport him.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 1/27/26, 10:52 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines