Nationwide — President Donald Trump claims the attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar at her Minnesota town hall was staged, though he offered no evidence to support that claim. The congresswoman was sprayed with an unknown substance during the event, but kept speaking and refused to be intimidated.
During the town hallon Tuesday night in Minneapolis, a man walked up to Omar with what looked like a syringe and sprayed her. Security immediately tackled him and escorted him out of the room. According to KGW, people at the event said the sprayed substance had a strong vinegar-like smell.
Police later identified the man as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak. They arrested him and booked him into Hennepin County Jail on third-degree assault charges. So far, he has not faced formal charges. Omar was shaken but not seriously hurt and was checked by medical staff after the episode.
In a phone interview with ABC News, Trump accused Omar of faking the attack. “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” he said, without providing proof. He also said he hadn’t watched the video of the incident.
Omar, a Somali-American immigrant, has often been a frequent target of Trump’s attacks. The incident adds to a growing number of politically motivated attacks in the U.S., including past shootings of public figures in Minnesota and other states.