‘She probably had herself sprayed’: Trump dismisses Ilhan Omar after she was attacked with liquid

A man approached the lectern with a plastic syringe, squirted a substance at Ilhan Omar, then was quickly tackled by security and taken into custody
UPDATED JAN 28, 2026
President Donald Trump weighed in after Rep Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unidentified liquid during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump weighed in after Rep Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unidentified liquid during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump weighed in on Tuesday, Jan 27, after Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was sprayed with an unidentified liquid during a Minneapolis town hall, suggesting the congresswoman may have staged the incident herself.

Omar was holding a town hall in Minneapolis where she criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and called for her resignation, accusing the agency of overseeing a “brutal crackdown” by federal immigration agents in the city.

As Omar spoke, a man approached the lectern and aimed what appeared to be a plastic syringe at the congresswoman before squirting an unidentified substance at her. Security immediately tackled the man and took him into custody.

“We will continue,” Omar said after the disruption. “This f**king ahole is not getting away with this.”



Police later identified the suspect as Anthony J Kazmierczak, 55.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 27: A person is subdued after attempting to attack Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility on January 27, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A person holding a syringe charged Omar's podium while she spoke to community members. Protests and demonstrations continue around Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
A person is subdued after attempting to attack Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility on January 27, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump insinuates Omar staged the incident

Roughly two hours after the incident, ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott said she spoke directly with Trump and asked whether he had seen video of the encounter.

“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,” Trump told Scott.

He added, “I haven’t seen it. No, no. I hope I don’t have to bother.”



The comments are just the latest flare-up in Trump’s long-running feud with Omar, who was born in Somalia and has represented Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District since 2019.

At a rally last year, Trump falsely claimed Omar was “here illegally,” prompting the crowd to chant, “Send her back!”

Calls for investigation amid long-running feud 

Just last week, Trump called for Omar to be investigated for what he described as “political crimes.” The President has repeatedly pointed to fraud scandals involving Minnesota’s social services system that were largely tied to Somali Americans and has used them to target Omar.

On Thursday, Trump again went after the congresswoman and said her finances warrant scrutiny. “Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is worth over $30 Million Dollars,” he wrote on Truth Social. “There is no way such wealth could have been accumulated, legally, while being paid the salary of a politician. She should be investigated for Financial and Political Crimes, and that investigation should start, NOW!" 

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 27: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks to a member of the media at the conclusion of a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility on January 27, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A person holding a syringe charged Omar's podium while she spoke to community members. Protests and demonstrations continue around Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks to a member of the media at the conclusion of a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility on January 27, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump has also used inflammatory language when discussing Omar and Somali immigrants. “They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” the President said in December. “Some will say that is not ‘politically correct.’” I don’t care. Their country is no good for a reason.”

He later called Omar “a terrible person,” and warned of national decline. “You know, our country’s at a tipping point. We could go bad. We’re at a tipping point. I don’t know if people mind me saying that, but I’m saying it. We could go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage," the President said.



"These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, 'Let’s go. Come on, let’s make this place great.' These are people that do nothing but complain. They complain. And from where they came from, they got nothing. You know, they came from paradise and they said this isn’t paradise. But when they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it," Trump added.

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