Rep. Ilhan Omar is one of President Donald Trump‘s most frequent political targets. On Tuesday evening, she was at a Minneapolis town hall for a civic debate and was confronted by a man who rushed toward her and tried to spray her with an unknown liquid. The incident took place after Omar’s critique of federal immigration enforcement.
Plus, a few hours ago, Trump said he wanted to “de-escalate” tensions in Minneapolis.
According to Minneapolis police and multiple eyewitness accounts, the man was sitting in the front row. He then stood up and walked directly toward Omar with a syringe-like device to spray this liquid onto her clothing. The audience gasped as security tackled him to the floor. Several attendees said something had been sprayed and had a strong, foul, vinegar-like odor.
🟥 After 24 hrs of racist attacks and lies by Trump, directed at Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, on both his social platform, AND on camera – tonight a man sprayed her with an unknown, “sharp-smelling” substance at her monthly town hall.
Donald Trump is the most dangerous… pic.twitter.com/pdp7pa3EJh
— Fun Tom 🇨🇦 💂 (@funtomvids) January 28, 2026
Police arrested him at the scene and booked him into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault. Forensic teams analyzed the liquid, but authorities have not yet disclosed what it was. It should be noted that Omar was not injured.
Local leaders and staff urged Omar to step away and get checked, but she refused to leave the room. She told the audience she would not allow intimidation to end the event. She then spoke for roughly 25 more minutes before leaving the venue.
Before the attack, Omar called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be abolished and demanded that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem resign or be impeached. Minneapolis is already on edge after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens (Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti) by ICE agents this month. So, whatever trust was left between federal authorities and local communities is now strained.
Thus, Trump said he wants to “de-escalate” tensions in Minneapolis. Yet before the chaotic town hall in question, he mocked Omar at a rally in Iowa. There, he criticized her patriotism and singled out her background. To add to this, on Monday, he also said the Justice Department and Congress were “looking at” her.
After the attack, though, the White House declined to comment.
Trump on Minnesota: We’re going to de-escalate a little bit. pic.twitter.com/0SzV0mbyTS
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 27, 2026
Democratic leaders and even some Republicans condemned the assault, but the Trump administration offered no immediate response. Trump keeps escalating his verbal attacks against Omar, who is a sitting member of Congress.
In recent months, he has also referred to her in dehumanizing terms.
Gov. Tim Walz warned that such language from a president, or any national leader for that matter, can have very real consequences. Plus, Minnesota has already been rocked by politically motivated violence in the past year. Even Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, despite having previously clashed with Omar, said that no elected official should face physical attacks of this sort.
Threats against members of Congress surged again in 2025. U.S. Capitol Police is investigating nearly 15,000 concerning cases, according to WTOP. While it sounds undemocratic, lawmakers are reassessing whether it’s safe to engage directly with constituents.
