A 55-year-old man who attacked Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D) during a town hall event in Minneapolis Tuesday night now faces assault charges.
Omar was calling for the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, when a man identified as Anthony Kazmierczak rushed Omar and sprayed her with an unknown liquid inside a syringe.
There was a strong, vinegar-like smell after the man pushed on the syringe, according to an Associated Press journalist who was there. But there's no immediate word from officials on what the substance was.
Omar was not injured and declined medical attention, instead opting to continue her town hall.
"Here is the reality that people like this ugly man don't understand. We are Minnesotan strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us," Omar said as she continued her town hall.
Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw was there, along with state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL).
The attack happened right after Omar called for ICE to be abolished and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment.
"Ice cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE for good," said Omar.
After Omar was sprayed, she angrily stepped toward the man who was quickly tackled to the floor and arrested. She refused to end the town hall and later said on social media, "I don't let bullies win."
Plenty of reaction Wednesday morning, including from Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar who talked to Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News.
"And I was really pleased to see that both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party actually put out statements last night saying there's no place for these kinds of attacks in our politics," Klobuchar said. "Elected officials, even if you agree with them, if you love them, if you don't like them, whatever, you should be able to speak out. People should be able to go talk to them."
There were several journalists there along with the Associated Press.
"When he was taken away, I could hear him actually say she's pitting us against each other," added the BBC's Ana Faguy who is in Minneapolis and attended the town hall. "She took a moment. The room took a moment to collect themselves, and then they continued on with what they came out there to do, which was to talk about what's going on in their community."
Omar has been outspoken against the Trump administration's policies, especially since "Operation Metro Surge" came to the Twin Cities. Omar is the first Somali American in the U.S. Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota. She was born in Somalia, but her parents sought asylum in the U.S. in 1995 and eventually settled in Minnesota.
"Trump and his paramilitary immigration enforcement will not get away with their unlawful attacks on our state," Omar said after the incident. "The Constitution is on our side, and we will fight every single day to defend it."
The response from President Donald Trump a bit different. ABC Reporter Rachel Scott tweeted out overnight that when she asked him about the video he said he hadn't seen it and then said:
"I think she's a fraud. I really don't think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."
Mr. Trump has frequently criticized the congresswoman in deeply personal terms. During a Cabinet meeting last month he called her “garbage." He also has recently posted to social media that the Justice Department is "investigating" Omar's finances and has previously called for her to be deported.
Omar's finances have frequently come into question by Republicans, but financial disclosures show that Omar's husband is responsible for the couple's primary net worth, not her work in government.
This is the second attack on a Democratic member of Congress in the past few days. Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost said a man punched him in the face at the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend.