Topline
A man attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and sprayed her with an unknown liquid Tuesday evening as she led a town hall in her congressional district to discuss the Trump administration’s immigration policies in Minnesota.
AFP via Getty Images
Key facts
The attack on Omar came shortly after she called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the ouster of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
After assaulting her, the man used what appeared to be a syringe to shoot an unknown liquid substance with a strong odor at the congressman.
The man was quickly tackled to the ground by security personnel and later arrested.
After a brief pause, Omar insisted she would continue, despite her staffers and security team members urging her not to and to get checked first.
Then she told the crowd. “This is the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand… We are strong in Minnesota and we will remain resilient in the face of whatever they throw at us.”
How has President Donald Trump responded to the incident?
Omar, an immigrant from Somalia, has been a recurring target of President Donald Trump’s attacks. While you’re talking to ABC News On Tuesday night, Trump was asked if he had seen a video of the attack on Omar, and he said, “No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. I really don’t think about that.” The president then baselessly claimed, “She probably got herself sprayed, knowing her,” despite the attacker being arrested and charged with assault. During a meeting in Iowa Just hours before the incident, Trump said immigrants would not be allowed to enter the US unless they show “they can love our country… Not like Ilhan Omar.” He then continued his attacks on Omar and her native country, Somalia, saying: “She comes from a country that is a disaster… They are good at one thing. Pirates.”
This is a development story.
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