WASHINGTON, JAN 28: US lawmaker Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American hijab-wearing woman in Congress, was attacked Tuesday during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis in the state of Minnesota, as she addressed constituents on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the Department of Homeland Security.
Ms. Omar, who has faced a barrage of near-daily attacks from President Donald Trump, had called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be abolished and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment moments before a man lunged toward her, according to media reports.
The Minnesota Democrat was speaking when the unidentified man ran toward the podium and appeared to spray her with a clear liquid.
The man was tackled and restrained by security personnel. Ms. Omar appeared shaken but was not injured.
It was not immediately clear what the man was saying as he was removed from the room or what substance he used.
Following the disruption, Ms. Omar returned to the podium and continued speaking, despite people around her urging her to leave the room to be checked, with one person heard saying the liquid smelled “so bad.”
“We’re going to keep talking. Please, don’t let them have the show,” Ms. 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,” she added.
“Everybody settle down. Gonna finish my remarks,” Ms. Omar said, adding: “It is important for me to continue to lead my Democratic colleagues in demanding her (Noem’s) resignation.”
Ms. Omar’s office said in a statement that “an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe.”
“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,” it added.
The attack came hours after President Trump criticized Omar during remarks at an event in Iowa, making derogatory comments about her home country of Somalia, calling it a nation that’s a “disaster.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked Ms. Omar in recent months, calling her “garbage” during remarks targeting Somali immigrants.
Ms. Omar, who arrived in the US from Somalia as a refugee and later became a US citizen, condemned the comments at the time, accusing President Trump of having a “creepy” obsession with her.
She visited Pakistan in April 2022.
