 "A man shouts at US 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, US, January 27, 2026, in a still image from video. File Image/Reuters")
The town hall meeting in Minneapolis on Tuesday took place against the backdrop of heightened political tensions in Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of two US citizens by immigration enforcement officers.
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who has long been outspoken on immigration policy, was addressing constituents amid a surge in federal immigration operations ordered by the Trump administration.
During her address, Omar focused heavily on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security, directly blaming senior leadership for the consequences of the intensified crackdown.
She called for the dismantling of ICE and demanded accountability from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, drawing applause from attendees inside the venue.
“ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated, we must abolish ICE for good, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Omar said while speaking from the stage.
It was moments after this declaration that the town hall descended into chaos.
What happened inside the Minneapolis town hall?
According to eyewitness accounts, video footage, and police statements, a man seated in the front rows stood up and moved toward the stage as Omar continued speaking.
Holding what authorities later described as a syringe, the man sprayed a brown-coloured liquid in Omar’s direction and told her, “You must resign.”
The substance released had a strong, unpleasant odour, with at least one witness stating that it smelled similar to ammonia and caused minor throat irritation. Omar initially stepped toward the attacker with her hand raised before security personnel intervened.
A security guard quickly grabbed the man, tackled him to the ground, and restrained him as the audience reacted in shock.
“Oh my God, he sprayed something on her,” a woman could be heard saying in a livestream recording of the event. Another voice urged the congresswoman to seek immediate medical help.
Despite the disruption, Omar refused to leave the venue. After a brief pause, she returned to the lectern and continued addressing the audience.
Associates encouraged her to seek medical attention, but she declined, saying she only needed a napkin. Her office later confirmed that she was not injured and was medically fine.
Reflecting on the moment, Omar told the audience, “I learned at a young age, you don’t give in to threats. You look them in the face and you stand strong.”
“We are Minnesota strong. We will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
Later that evening, Omar addressed the incident again on social media. In a post on X, she wrote, “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.”
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday night, Omar reflected on her past experiences and linked them to her response during the attack.
“I’ve survived war. And I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” she said.
Who was the attacker?
Minneapolis police officers at the scene took the suspect into custody immediately after he was subdued by security staff.
The department later identified the man as Anthony Kazmierczak. Authorities confirmed that he was arrested and charged with third-degree assault.
Police also stated that forensic scientists were deployed to collect evidence from the venue, including residue from the sprayed substance. While the contents of the liquid were not immediately disclosed, those present described its odour as foul and overpowering.
The incident was swiftly categorised as an assault by law enforcement, countering claims circulating online that no crime had occurred. Officials pointed out that the attack involved physical contact with a foreign substance and direct confrontation with a federal lawmaker during a public event.
How did Trump react?
US President Donald Trump weighed in on the incident later that evening during a phone conversation with ABC News. Trump stated that he had not watched footage of the attack and dismissed its significance.
“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” Trump said.
The remark added fuel to a growing wave of online accusations questioning the authenticity of the attack. Trump’s comments also followed a long history of hostile rhetoric directed at Omar.
In December, during a cabinet meeting, Trump referred to her in derogatory terms, stating, “Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”
Earlier on the same day as the town hall, Trump criticised Omar during an event in Iowa, attacking her background and immigration history.
“She comes from a country that’s a disaster. Probably it’s considered, I think, the worst — it’s not even a country, OK? It barely has a government,” he said.
Trump has also previously suggested that Omar should be removed from the country, despite her status as a naturalised US citizen who arrived in the United States at the age of 12 and became a citizen in 2000.
How did Maga react?
Following Trump’s comments, far-right influencers and Maga-aligned commentators launched a coordinated wave of social media posts alleging that the attack had been fabricated.
The claims spread rapidly across X, with prominent accounts accusing Omar of orchestrating the incident to gain sympathy or deflect scrutiny.
Conservative activist Laura Loomer led many of these accusations. In a post, she wrote, “This is the most staged thing I have ever seen in my life. I’m calling for an immediate investigation into whether 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 continued with further allegations, adding, “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 [Department of Justice] are investigating her and her husband.”
Self-described Trump “loyalty enforcer” and conservative commentator accounts echoed similar claims, branding the incident a “Somali False Flag Scam” and repeatedly comparing Omar to actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted in 2019 for making a false police report.
Several social media commentators attempted to analyse video footage of the attack, using selective interpretations to claim it was staged.
Conservative YouTuber Anthony B Logan argued that the event was orchestrated because “Omar looked directly at the guy and nodded before he sprayed that stuff on her.”
Zeek Arkham, another conservative commentator, suggested the sequence of events raised suspicion. “I’m not saying the incident with Ilhan Omar was staged, but a sitting congresswoman is at an event where an unknown man gets up and sprays an unknown liquid on her,” he wrote.
He questioned her response and decision to continue speaking, concluding sarcastically, “Totally, totally wasn’t staged.”
Political commentator David J Freeman also weighed in, stating, “Why would I not think the Ilhan Omar incident was staged…? EVERYTHING THE LEFT DOES IS FAKE AND STAGED.”
Podcast host Mario Nawfal took a more equivocal tone but still amplified doubt, posting, “The internet thinks Ilhan Omar’s spray incident might have been staged… Could be nothing… Could be desperation.”
The accusations escalated further as right-wing accounts attempted to link the attack to unrelated claims about Omar’s finances.
Wall Street Apes, a prominent investment-focused social media account, alleged, “Six days ago new disclosures show Ilhan Omar went from $42 in her bank account to $25 million in 1 year,” before tying the claim to the town hall incident and declaring it “Jussie Smollett 2.0.”
Ian Miles Cheong also asserted that “nothing about the ‘attack’ on Ilhan Omar is real,” claiming without evidence that Omar and the attacker were working together.
He alleged that Omar “looks at the guy who sprayed her and gives him a little nod right before he springs into action.”
Far-right journalist Drew Hernandez shared manipulated images comparing Omar to Smollett and accused Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of politicising the incident, writing that Walz blaming Trump was proof the attack was “probably staged.”
Daily Wire host Matt Walsh added to the narrative, stating: “I don’t know if the Ilhan Omar thing was staged or not. There’s certainly plenty of reason to be suspicious.”
He later dismissed the significance of the incident entirely, saying that even if it were real, it did not merit sympathy.
Are US lawmakers under threat?
South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace issued a statement on X saying, “I am deeply disturbed to learn that Representative Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today. 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.”
Mace’s condemnation drew attention due to her own past remarks. In September, she had shared an article referring to Omar with the caption, “Ilhan Omar is an Enemy of the State.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also responded, pointing to the broader pattern of political violence. “I’m glad that Congresswoman Omar is safe. Our state has been shattered by political violence in the last year. The cruel, inflammatory, dehumanizing rhetoric by our nation’s leaders needs to stop immediately,” he wrote.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey similarly described the attack as unacceptable and criticised the climate of hostility surrounding public officials.
The incident occurred amid a documented rise in threats against members of Congress. On Tuesday, US Capitol Police released figures showing that threat assessment cases increased for the third consecutive year in 2025.
According to the data, Capitol Police investigated 14,938 cases involving concerning statements, behaviour, or communications aimed at lawmakers, their families, staff, or the Capitol complex in 2025.
This represented a nearly 58 per cent increase from the 9,474 cases recorded in 2024.
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With inputs from agencies