Donald Trump called Ilhan Omar ‘a fraud’ and suggested she faked the syringe spray attack against her at a Minneapolis town hall.
Trump’s comments came after Omar faced off with the angry protester while speaking about the recent Border Patrol shooting of Alex Pretti during a North Minneapolis town hall.
‘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,’ the president told ABC News when he asked if he’d watched the clip.
He reiterated that he hadn’t seen the video and added ‘I hope I don’t have to bother.’
Omar faced off with the angry protester after calling for Kristi Noem to resign while speaking about the recent Border Patrol shooting of Alex Pretti during a North Minneapolis town hall.
‘DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,’ Omar says in footage of the incident.
The protester – later identified as 55-year-old Anthony J. Kazmierczak – ran toward Omar and sprayed a mystery substance at her from a syringe.
He then told Omar to resign and claimed she’s ‘tearing Minnesota apart’ before being dragged away by security guards.
Omar appeared ready to confront Kazmierczak before he was dragged away as she muttered: ‘F**king a**hole.’
She then answers an inaudible question from the crowd with ‘I don’t know’ and telling another member of her team that she needs a napkin.
When one of the bystanders tells Omar she needs to ‘get checked’ for whatever was sprayed at her, she stands her ground, saying: ‘We will continue. These f**king a**holes are not going to get away with it.’
‘Here is the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: We are Minnesota strong.’
There was a strong, vinegarlike smell after Kazmierczak pushed on the syringe, according to an Associated Press journalist who was there. Forensic scientists responded to the scene.
Photos of the device, which fell to the ground when he was tackled, showed what appeared to be a light-brown liquid inside. There was no immediate word from officials on what it was.
Kazmierczak has an image of President Trump on his Facebook page along with another of Trump embracing Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
He was immediately at the county jail for third-degree assault, spokesperson Trevor Folke said. He is being held without bail.
It was not immediately clear if Kazmierczak had an attorney. The county public defenders’ office could not immediately be reached.
The United States Capitol Police confirmed he had been detained when reached by The Daily Mail.
‘Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress – an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice,’ a spokesperson said.
‘We are grateful for the rapid response of onsite security and our local law enforcement partners. We are now working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.’
Afterward, Omar – who was born in war-torn Somalia – briefly spoke about the attack.
‘I have 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.
Omar added that she was ‘going to go figure out’ if she was alright but said that she felt ‘okay.’
‘I feel that it is important for people, whether they are in elected office or not, to allow these people to intimidate us, to make us not fight for our constituents and for the country we love.’
The congresswoman also issued a statement to social media following the town hall.
‘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,’ she wrote.
‘During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe,’ a spokesperson added.
Omar continued the town hall for about 25 more minutes after Kazmierczak was ushered out by security.
‘Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.’
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday night.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a fellow Democrat, condemned the attack.
‘Unacceptable. Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk. I’m relieved Rep. Omar is okay and appreciate MPD for responding quickly. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.’
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Fellow US 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 via the social platform 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.’
The event was Omar’s first since the fatal ICE shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, as well as the massive liberal protest movement in response to ICE’s presence in the city.
‘ICE cannot be reformed,’ she said.
Following the shootings, House Democrats launched an investigation into Noem, while 140 members of the party have co-sponsored an impeachment resolution.
Democrats have come out swinging for Noem, as a large majority – 145 of 213 – of their House delegation now co-sponsors a bill that would see her impeached.
The impeachment bill alleges that Noem has been self-dealing, obstructed Congress and violated public trust.
A spokesperson for DHS told Axios that the efforts were ‘silly’ and Democrats should focus on fixing crime problems in their districts.
The minority party will also launch an investigation into Noem’s work at DHS without any assistance from Republicans, The Washington Post reported.
Omar has faced renewed scrutiny from Republicans in the wake of the Minnesota daycare scandal.
Trump has frequently criticized the congresswoman and has stepped up verbal attacks on her in recent months as he turned his focus on Minneapolis.
During a Cabinet meeting in December, he called her ‘garbage’ and added that ‘her friends are garbage.’
Hours earlier on Tuesday, the president criticized Omar as he spoke to a crowd in Iowa, saying his administration would only let in immigrants who ‘can show that they love our country.’
‘They have to be proud, not like Ilhan Omar,’ he said, drawing loud boos at the mention of her name.
He added: ‘She comes from a country that´s a disaster. So probably, it´s considered, I think – it´s not even a country.’
The attack came days after a man was arrested in Utah for allegedly punching Congressman Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, in the face during the Sundance Film Festival and saying Trump was going to deport him.
The Capitol Police said that threat assessment cases against members of Congress, their families, staff and the Capitol Complex had increased for the third year in a row.
In 2025, the USCP’s Threat Assessment Section (TAS) investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors, and communications, a 57 percent increase.
‘While security on Capitol Grounds has already improved, we have been strengthening our partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the country to keep the Members of Congress safe when they are away from Capitol Hill,’ said US Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
‘We want to make sure agencies have the resources they need to be able to enhance protection, which is critical to the democratic process.’
