In brief
During a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked by a man who sprayed an unknown substance on her. The audience responded quickly, tackling the assailant until he was subdued. Omar continued her speech, advocating for the abolition of ICE and demanding the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The incident follows a growing trend of violence against lawmakers, coinciding with heightened tensions surrounding political rhetoric.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man wearing a black jacket was tackled to the ground after spraying an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis on Tuesday. The audience cheered as he was pinned down and his arms were tied behind his back. In video of the incident, someone in the crowd can be heard saying, “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her.” Omar continued the town hall after the man was ushered out of the room.Just before that, Omar called for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign. “ICE cannot be reformed,” she said.Minneapolis police did not immediately respond to a phone call and email message seeking information on the incident and whether anyone was arrested. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday night.President Donald Trump has frequently criticized the congresswoman and has stepped up verbal attacks on her in recent months as he turned his focus on Minneapolis. During a Cabinet meeting in December, he called her “garbage” and added that “her friends are garbage.” The attack on Omar came days after a man was arrested in Utah for allegedly punching U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, in the face during the Sundance Film Festival and saying Trump was going to deport him.}
