During a town hall event in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was sprayed with unknown liquid in a syringe before the attacker was tackled and removed by security.
The suspect has been identified by Minneapolis Police as 55-year-old Anthony J. Kazmierczak, multiple outlets reported. He was arrested on suspicion of third degree assault. The police investigation is still ongoing.
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Video footage shows Omar was calling for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for Homeland Security Kristi Noem to resign when the suspect jumped in front of her and sprayed the liquid on her shirt. The staffers on the scene said in the video that the liquid had a strong smell. Local media reported the liquid had an orange color and emitted a strong vinegar-like odor.
Following the incident, the town hall was briefly halted. Omar, while visibly shaken, insisted on continuing the event and called for Minnesotans to stay strong and resilient. She later posted on X that she was OK.
“This moment in U.S. history and particularly in Minnesota requires all of us to be working together to preserve our democracy. When we say we are going to put our lives on the line for what is our right, we mean that, ” Omar said in her speech following the attack.
Asked on Tuesday if he had seen the video footage, President Trump told ABC News that he had not, but suggested the attack on Omar was staged. Omar is one of a handful of Democrats Trump has repeatedly attacked over the years, and suggested the Congresswoman, who is a U.S. citizen, should be deported. In recent weeks, Trump has tried to tie Omar to a fraud scandal in her home state, claiming without evidence that she’s worth $44 million, and calling for the Department of Justice to investigate her.
“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said Tuesday.
Local officials in Minneapolis were united in defending Omar and condemning the attacker. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey posted on X that “violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis.” Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vitaw, who attended the town hall event, said the attack was “unacceptable and deeply concerning.”
“Despite this, my fellow elected officials and I remain committed to serving and representing the people of Minneapolis,” she said on Facebook.
Several congressional Republicans have also voiced their concerns following the incident. Rep. Lawler of New York and Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri both condemned the attack. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who moved to subpoena Omar’s immigration record earlier this month, said on X that she is “deeply disturbed” by the incident.
“Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric – and I do – no elected official should face physical attacks,” Mace wrote. “This is not who we are.”