Trump Says Ilhan Omar 'Probably Had Herself Sprayed'; She Hits Back With 'Dementia' Jibe

Last Updated:January 29, 2026, 07:59 IST

After Ilhan Omar was attacked with an unknown chemical spray in Minneapolis, Donald Trump said the attack may have been staged, while calling her a "fraud".

US President Donald Trump has long targeted Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. (Reuters/File)

The feud between US President Donald Trump and Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar escalated after the latter was attacked with an unidentified substance while addressing an event in Minneapolis on Tuesday. The US president called Omar a “fraud" and suggested that the attack on her might have been staged.

Omar was addressing an event in Minneapolis’ Karmel Mall when a man, identified as 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak, allegedly sprayed her with an unknown, foul-smelling liquid. Officers at the scene tackled him to the ground and immediately arrested him for third-degree assault.

The confrontation came moments after Omar had called for the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.

‘I Don’t Think About Her’

Trump, who has lashed out at Omar relentlessly after taking office and even launched attacks on the Somali-American community, said he did not see the video of the attack and suggested that it could have been staged.

Speaking to ABC News, Trump said, “No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. I really don’t think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her." When asked about if he had seen the video, he said, “I haven’t seen it. No, no. I hope I don’t have to bother."

Omar has frequently been targeted by Trump, who has called her “garbage," and earlier on Tuesday, accused her of not loving the United States during remarks in Iowa. Prior to that, Trump said the Justice Department and Congress “were looking at" Omar, while investigating massive fraud in Minnesota.

Omar Hits Back: ‘Trump Obsessed With Me’

On Wednesday, Omar hit back at Trump’s remarks, blaming him for the attack and accusing him of being “obsessed" with her. She also suggested that the US president was suffering from “dementia".

“What the facts have shown since I’ve gotten into elected office is that every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket," she was quoted as saying by Fox News.

Omar also said the person who attacked her was “upset that Trump’s order to deport Somalis was not yielding enough deportations of Somalis."

“I wouldn’t be where I am at today, having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security if Donald Trump wasn’t in office and if he wasn’t so obsessed with me," she added. “It is ironic that just last night he was on stage moments before I was attacked, talking about me, and then when asked about my attack, he said, ‘I don’t think about her.’ Is he suffering from dementia?"

Kazmierczak, Omar’s attacker, reportedly has a history of sharing political posts on social media in support of Donald Trump, and in 2021 shared a political cartoon criticising Omar’s stance on security spending amid calls to defund police.

News world Trump Says Ilhan Omar 'Probably Had Herself Sprayed'; She Hits Back With 'Dementia' Jibe

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