TRUMPIST ATTACK
I Don’t Let Bullies Win’: Ilhan Omar Assaulted at Town Hall Amid Repeated Trump Attacks
“Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand,” said the Democratic lawmaker following the attack. “We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
A man is tackled after spraying an unknown substance at US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) during a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 27, 2026.
(Photo by Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images)
Jon Queally
Jan 27, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was assaulted on Tuesday evening during a town hall event in Minneapolis by a man who squirted some kind of liquid from a syringe on the lawmaker amid heightened tensions in the state and following a series of baseless allegations and intensifying insults directed at her by US President Donald Trump.
During public remarks to local constituents—just as she called for ICE to be abolished and that Secratary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem should “resign of face impeachment”—video footage of the attack shows a man wearing a black jacket sitting in the front row abruptly rise from his seat and lunge toward Omar’s podium as he sprays something at her with a syringe in his right hand.
DOJ Investigating Omar Called ‘Continuation of Trump’s Revenge Campaign’
Omar Warns Trump Aims to Provoke Enough Agitation in Minnesota So He Can Declare ‘Martial Law’
While apparently unharmed, Omar first backs away before charging at the man, before he is tackled by security, and other bystanders intervene.
Watch:
“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” Omar said in a post shortly after the incident. “I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”
Many credited Omar for her fortitude in the face of the attack, both during and after.
“llhan is toughest lawmaker in Congress,” said journalist Pablo Manríquez. “No one gets more hate, then goes right back to doing the work.”
“Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand,” said the Democratic lawmaker following the attack. “We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
A man is tackled after spraying an unknown substance at US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) during a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 27, 2026.
(Photo by Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images)
Jon Queally
Jan 27, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was assaulted on Tuesday evening during a town hall event in Minneapolis by a man who squirted some kind of liquid from a syringe on the lawmaker amid heightened tensions in the state and following a series of baseless allegations and intensifying insults directed at her by US President Donald Trump.
During public remarks to local constituents—just as she called for ICE to be abolished and that Secratary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem should “resign of face impeachment”—video footage of the attack shows a man wearing a black jacket sitting in the front row abruptly rise from his seat and lunge toward Omar’s podium as he sprays something at her with a syringe in his right hand.
DOJ Investigating Omar Called ‘Continuation of Trump’s Revenge Campaign’
Omar Warns Trump Aims to Provoke Enough Agitation in Minnesota So He Can Declare ‘Martial Law’
While apparently unharmed, Omar first backs away before charging at the man, before he is tackled by security, and other bystanders intervene.
Watch:
“Oh my god,” someone off camera can be heard saying, “He sprayed something on her.”
Maintaining her composure after the man was subdued, Omar said, “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.”
According to the Star Tribune:
Minneapolis police said officers saw a man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar. They immediately arrested him and booked him at the county jail for third-degree assault, spokesperson Trevor Folke said in an email. Police also said forensic scientists responded to the scene.
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.
Over recent weeks—as Minnesota has been the focus of nationwide outrage due to the authoritarian tactics used by federal immigration agents deployed and the killing of two observers, Renee Good and Alex Pretti—Trump, a racist, has repeatedly targeted Omar with false suggestions that she has perpetrated fraud due to her personal financial disclosures and used her Somali heritage to insult her as a “garbage person.”
Maintaining her composure after the man was subdued, Omar said, “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.”
According to the Star Tribune:
Minneapolis police said officers saw a man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar. They immediately arrested him and booked him at the county jail for third-degree assault, spokesperson Trevor Folke said in an email. Police also said forensic scientists responded to the scene.
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.
Over recent weeks—as Minnesota has been the focus of nationwide outrage due to the authoritarian tactics used by federal immigration agents deployed and the killing of two observers, Renee Good and Alex Pretti—Trump, a racist, has repeatedly targeted Omar with false suggestions that she has perpetrated fraud due to her personal financial disclosures and used her Somali heritage to insult her as a “garbage person.”
“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” Omar said in a post shortly after the incident. “I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”
Many credited Omar for her fortitude in the face of the attack, both during and after.
“llhan is toughest lawmaker in Congress,” said journalist Pablo Manríquez. “No one gets more hate, then goes right back to doing the work.”
Robert Davis
January 27, 2026
RAW STORY
A man shouts at U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) after spraying her, during a town hall meeting days after a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 27, 2026, in a still image from video. REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was sprayed with an unidentified substance while speaking at a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Video shared on social media by Jay O'Brien, Capitol Hill correspondent for ABC News, shows a bearded man in a heavy jacket charging Omar at the podium before he is grabbed and whisked away by security. Omar and the other local lawmakers in attendance were visibly in shock. The town hall continued after the person was removed.
"What an a---hole," one attendee can be heard saying.
"He sprayed her!" another one shouted.
The town hall comes at a time when tensions between community members and the federal government have reached a fever pitch. Over the weekend, federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old ICU nurse named Alex Pretti during a protest. Pretti's death is the second high-profile killing by Trump's immigration agents in Minneapolis this month.
MAGA suspects Ilhan Omar 'orchestrated' town hall attack: 'Completely staged!'
TRUMP SAID IT TOO
Daniel Hampton
January 27, 2026
Daniel Hampton
January 27, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a town hall meeting, days after a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona
MAGA world watched chaos unfold at Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN) town hall - in which a man charged the podium and sprayed her with a pungent mystery substance - and concluded the whole thing must've been staged.
At the Minneapolis town hall on Tuesday night, a front-row agitator suddenly rushed at Omar and doused her with an odorous, vinegar-like liquid while she addressed the crowd on immigration enforcement. Omar had just called for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Security swiftly tackled the suspect and hauled him off in handcuffs as the congresswoman stood her ground, visibly shaken but refusing to leave the stage.
Her office condemned the incident and confirmed she suffered no serious injuries.
Despite clear video and photos of the incident MAGA world surmised Omar must've orchestrated the incident. That includes prominent right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and former Fox Business reporter Trish Regan.
"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," she wrote on X. "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."
MAGA commentator Paul A. Szypula declared on X, "Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) gets sprayed with a liquid substance while she’s speaking. She’s a fraud so it’s completely plausible that she orchestrated this. Deport Ilhan."
In a separate post, Szypula wrote on X, "Another angle of Ilhan Omar being sprayed while she called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment. Never believe anything Ilhan says or does. This could all be a hoax she created. Deport Ilhan as soon as possible."
The MAGA account Clown World questioned on X, "Do you think this was real or staged?"
Right-wing journalist Trish Regan wrote on X, "Ilhan Omar was reportedly sprayed in the face tonight — And, she runs after the attacker?!! As though she’s about to take him out? This is not normal behavior. Not even close. No wonder people are asking if it was STAGED!"
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a town hall meeting, days after a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona
MAGA world watched chaos unfold at Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN) town hall - in which a man charged the podium and sprayed her with a pungent mystery substance - and concluded the whole thing must've been staged.
At the Minneapolis town hall on Tuesday night, a front-row agitator suddenly rushed at Omar and doused her with an odorous, vinegar-like liquid while she addressed the crowd on immigration enforcement. Omar had just called for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Security swiftly tackled the suspect and hauled him off in handcuffs as the congresswoman stood her ground, visibly shaken but refusing to leave the stage.
Her office condemned the incident and confirmed she suffered no serious injuries.
Despite clear video and photos of the incident MAGA world surmised Omar must've orchestrated the incident. That includes prominent right-wing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and former Fox Business reporter Trish Regan.
"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," she wrote on X. "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."
MAGA commentator Paul A. Szypula declared on X, "Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) gets sprayed with a liquid substance while she’s speaking. She’s a fraud so it’s completely plausible that she orchestrated this. Deport Ilhan."
In a separate post, Szypula wrote on X, "Another angle of Ilhan Omar being sprayed while she called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment. Never believe anything Ilhan says or does. This could all be a hoax she created. Deport Ilhan as soon as possible."
The MAGA account Clown World questioned on X, "Do you think this was real or staged?"
Right-wing journalist Trish Regan wrote on X, "Ilhan Omar was reportedly sprayed in the face tonight — And, she runs after the attacker?!! As though she’s about to take him out? This is not normal behavior. Not even close. No wonder people are asking if it was STAGED!"
Man arrested after attacking Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar at town hall in Minneapolis
A man was arrested on Tuesday after spraying Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with an unknown substance at a town hall meeting in Minneapolis. This comes as deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said that federal immigration officers may have violated “protocol” during the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis.
28/01/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Trump told reporters that he rejected the "assassin" label used by a top aide to describe the 37-year-old nurse, adding that he wants "a very honourable and honest investigation".
But he criticised Pretti for carrying the licensed firearm that was taken off him before he was shot.
"I don't like that he had a gun, I don't like that he had two fully loaded magazines," the president said.
'Pretty out there'
After meeting with Homan Tuesday, Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement they discussed the "serious negative impacts this operation has had on Minneapolis", and the city "will not enforce federal immigration laws".
A man was arrested on Tuesday after spraying Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with an unknown substance at a town hall meeting in Minneapolis. This comes as deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said that federal immigration officers may have violated “protocol” during the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis.
28/01/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Security restrains a man who sprayed an unknown substance at US Representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis on January 27, 2026. © Octavio Jones, AFP
As the White House worked to "de-escalate" tensions in Minneapolis Tuesday, a man sprayed Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with a syringe of unknown liquid at a town hall meeting, where she called for curbing the Trump administration's anti-immigration crackdown.
The White House is also evaluating whether the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who gunned down a nurse failed to follow "clear guidance" to "create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors", deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told AFP.
"We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol," Miller said in a statement.
At the town hall Tuesday night, Omar had just spoken about the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem "resign or face impeachment", when a man sprang up from the front row, made a remark and sprayed the lawmaker, as security leapt to grab him.
Omar raised a fist and stepped toward the attacker before returning to the podium to say: "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 on us."
The attacker, identified by police as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, managed to spray Omar before he was tackled and arrested. The representative was unharmed, police said.
Omar is a frequent target of President Donald Trump – who continues to defend Noem despite her oversight of federal immigration agents who shot and killed two US citizens this month, saying Noem would not step down and was doing a "very good job".
But after days of protests following 37-year-old Alex Pretti's death, Trump told Fox News "we're going to de-escalate a little bit", while adding that it was not a "pullback".
Trump also admitted that Gregory Bovino, a hardline Border Patrol commander who is now expected to leave Minneapolis, was "a pretty out-there kind of a guy" whose presence may not have helped the situation, and sent top US border security official Tom Homan to meet with officials in the city.
As the White House worked to "de-escalate" tensions in Minneapolis Tuesday, a man sprayed Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with a syringe of unknown liquid at a town hall meeting, where she called for curbing the Trump administration's anti-immigration crackdown.
The White House is also evaluating whether the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who gunned down a nurse failed to follow "clear guidance" to "create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors", deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told AFP.
"We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol," Miller said in a statement.
At the town hall Tuesday night, Omar had just spoken about the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem "resign or face impeachment", when a man sprang up from the front row, made a remark and sprayed the lawmaker, as security leapt to grab him.
Omar raised a fist and stepped toward the attacker before returning to the podium to say: "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 on us."
The attacker, identified by police as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, managed to spray Omar before he was tackled and arrested. The representative was unharmed, police said.
Omar is a frequent target of President Donald Trump – who continues to defend Noem despite her oversight of federal immigration agents who shot and killed two US citizens this month, saying Noem would not step down and was doing a "very good job".
But after days of protests following 37-year-old Alex Pretti's death, Trump told Fox News "we're going to de-escalate a little bit", while adding that it was not a "pullback".
Trump also admitted that Gregory Bovino, a hardline Border Patrol commander who is now expected to leave Minneapolis, was "a pretty out-there kind of a guy" whose presence may not have helped the situation, and sent top US border security official Tom Homan to meet with officials in the city.
© France 24
01:25
01:25
Trump told reporters that he rejected the "assassin" label used by a top aide to describe the 37-year-old nurse, adding that he wants "a very honourable and honest investigation".
But he criticised Pretti for carrying the licensed firearm that was taken off him before he was shot.
"I don't like that he had a gun, I don't like that he had two fully loaded magazines," the president said.
'Pretty out there'
After meeting with Homan Tuesday, Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement they discussed the "serious negative impacts this operation has had on Minneapolis", and the city "will not enforce federal immigration laws".
Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy road, less than three weeks after Renee Good was killed in her car © Roberto Schmidt, AFP
Just weeks after federal immigration agents shot and killed US citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis, Pretti's death sparked national outrage and added to a litany of complaints of abusive tactics.
Good, a mother of three, was shot by an agent at point blank range in her car on January 7.
The killings capped months of escalating violence in which masked, unidentified and heavily armed ICE and border patrol agents have grabbed people they accuse of violations off the streets.
Despite multiple videos showing that Pretti posed no threat, Bovino and Noem initially claimed Pretti had intent to kill federal agents, calling him a "domestic terrorist".
'Incompetent'
Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday that agents involved in the shooting should be put on administrative leave, later adding that the immigration enforcement leaders would testify before the Congress next month.
Centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman said "grossly incompetent" Noem should be fired.
Just weeks after federal immigration agents shot and killed US citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis, Pretti's death sparked national outrage and added to a litany of complaints of abusive tactics.
Good, a mother of three, was shot by an agent at point blank range in her car on January 7.
The killings capped months of escalating violence in which masked, unidentified and heavily armed ICE and border patrol agents have grabbed people they accuse of violations off the streets.
Despite multiple videos showing that Pretti posed no threat, Bovino and Noem initially claimed Pretti had intent to kill federal agents, calling him a "domestic terrorist".
'Incompetent'
Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday that agents involved in the shooting should be put on administrative leave, later adding that the immigration enforcement leaders would testify before the Congress next month.
Centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman said "grossly incompetent" Noem should be fired.
A woman holds a placard with an upside down American flag to protest violence by the ICE immigration agency in Minneapolis © Roberto Schmidt, AFP
The turmoil could even result in a fresh US government shutdown, with Democrats calling for broad reforms to federal immigration operations at DHS and threatening to block approval of it funding, as part of the spending bills that go up for votes in the Senate later this week.
The judicial branch also pushed back on Trump's actions in Minneapolis Tuesday, when a US judge blocked the deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father who were detained last week in another incident that went viral.
Liam Conejo Ramos – wearing a fluffy blue hat and his school backpack – was photographed being detained by a federal agent, who school officials said was using the preschool student as "bait" to draw out his family, who are asylum seekers from Ecuador.
At a protest at the Minnesota State Capitol Tuesday, veteran Brian Furgen, 55, told AFP that Americans need immigration and customs enforcement agents who "know how to do the job without harming the community, without killing people, without hurting people, without imprisoning people that are law abiding".
"That's what they are doing here, that's ridiculous."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
The turmoil could even result in a fresh US government shutdown, with Democrats calling for broad reforms to federal immigration operations at DHS and threatening to block approval of it funding, as part of the spending bills that go up for votes in the Senate later this week.
The judicial branch also pushed back on Trump's actions in Minneapolis Tuesday, when a US judge blocked the deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father who were detained last week in another incident that went viral.
Liam Conejo Ramos – wearing a fluffy blue hat and his school backpack – was photographed being detained by a federal agent, who school officials said was using the preschool student as "bait" to draw out his family, who are asylum seekers from Ecuador.
At a protest at the Minnesota State Capitol Tuesday, veteran Brian Furgen, 55, told AFP that Americans need immigration and customs enforcement agents who "know how to do the job without harming the community, without killing people, without hurting people, without imprisoning people that are law abiding".
"That's what they are doing here, that's ridiculous."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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