
Omar (D-Minn.) was at the podium criticizing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and calling for abolishing ICE when Anthony Kazmierczak, shouting inaudible remarks, allegedly charged her from the row closest to her lectern and sprayed liquid in the direction of her chest.
The syringe appeared to contain an amber-colored liquid.
The congresswoman ran after Kazmierczak and appeared to be preparing to punch him before he was tackled and removed from the North Minneapolis venue.
âI need a napkin,â Omar was heard asking a staffer on the hot mic.
Aides urged her to seek medical attention, but the 43-year-old âSquadâ member refused.
âNo, we will continue. Iâm fine,â Omar said.
A person near Omar noted that whatever the substance sprayed was, âit smells so bad.â
Omar continued with her remarks a few minutes later.
âWe are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,â she said, as her assailant was still being removed from the room.
Kazmierczak, 55, who shared photos supporting President Trump on Facebook, was arrested by Minneapolis police officers and booked into Hennepin County Jail for third-degree assault, according to police public information officer Trevor Folke.
âRepresentative Omar was uninjured and resumed speaking at the event,â Folke noted.
Forensic scientists responded to the venue â the Urban League Twin Cities building â to process the scene, according to police.
âIâm ok,â Omar wrote on X about an hour after the incident.
âIâm a survivor so this small agitator isnât going to intimidate me from doing my work,â she continued. âI donât let bullies win.
âGrateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.â
Minneapolis Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, one of the presenters at the town hall, who got some of the spray on her jacket, told The Post that there were metal detectors to get into the venue and police were outside before the event started.
âIt was mayhem when it happened, but her getting back up there and speaking calmed the room down,â Vetaw said. âBut I looked over at her hands, and she was shaking so bad.â
âI got sick to my stomach,â Vetaw said of the foul odor. âI went outside and threw up because, like, the smell was so strong.
âIt smelled like vinegar or ammonia.â
Political leaders from both sides of the aisle condemned the assault.
âI am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today,â Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)Â wrote on X.Â
âRegardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric â and I do â no elected official should face physical attacks.
âThis is not who we are.â
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the incident âunacceptableâ and said, âThis kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.â
âViolence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis,â the Democratic leader wrote on X. âWe can disagree without putting people at risk.
âIâm relieved Rep. Omar is okay and appreciate MPD for responding quickly.â
The attack came a day after Trump confirmed that the Department of Justice and Congress were investigating the Minnesota Democratâs skyrocketing net worth.Â
Trump â who has previously called for Omar to be jailed or deported to her birth country of Somalia â revealed the federal and congressional inquiries after dispatching border czar Tom Homan to ease tensions in Minnesota related to Saturdayâs fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) blamed Trump for the attack on her âSquadâ colleague.
âIt is not a coincidence that after days of President Trump and VP Vance putting Rep. Omar in their crosshairs with slanderous public attacks, she gets assaulted at her town hall,â Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.
âThank God she is okay,â the New York Democrat added. âIf they want leaders to take down the temp, they need to look in the mirror.â
The US Capitol Police vowed that the man who âdecided to assaultâ Omar âwill be met with swift justice.â
âWe are grateful for the rapid response of onsite security and our local law enforcement partners,â the agency said in a statement. âWe 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.â
The Capitol Police released a report earlier in the evening noting that in 2025 â for the third year in a row â threats against congressional lawmakers increased.
The department investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications directed against members of Congress, their families, staff and the Capitol Complex last year, according to the Capitol Police.




