A man has been arrested after spraying Rep. Omar with unknown liquid during town hall.
On Tuesday (Jan 27), Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar held a town hall meeting amid protests of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations in the state. The meeting also arrived amid the Donald Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdowns.
Omar called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also called for the resignation or impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Omar said, “ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE for good. And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.”
Shortly after giving her remarks, a man charged the podium, appeared to squirt a liquid at her and was then tackled to the ground by a security guard after a brief struggle.
“I’m going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue,” Omar said, using a profanity. “We will continue,” she said. “These f—— a——- are not going to get away with it!”
Officials pleaded with Omar to end the event, but the congresswoman insisted that she would continue, telling her audience: “We will continue… we are Minnesota strong.”
The man, identified as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault, Minneapolis police said.
Omar spoke on the incident on X. “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,” she later.
A long-time critic of Trump
Omar, a Democrat who became in 2019 the first Somali-American to serve in the US Congress, has been a fierce critic of Trump.
In 2019, Omar condemned Trump’s vile attacks on Jewish and muslim communities. In July 2025, she criticized the Big Beautiful Bill, as it furthers the wealth gap and “leaves working people behind.”
Trump has frequently launched xenophobic attacks on Omar, the lone Somali American in Congress. Hours before Tuesday’s incident, he criticized her again during remarks from Iowa.
President Trump comments on the incident
Regarding the attacker, President Trump, without evidence, suggested Rep Omar staged the incident.
“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump told ABC News. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
When asked if he had seen video of the incident, the president said, “I haven’t seen it. No, no. I hope I don’t have to bother.”