Rep. Ilhan Omar rushed by man on stage and sprayed with liquid at town hall event : NPR
A man is tackled after spraying an unknown substance at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (left) during a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Octavio JONES/AFP via Getty Images)
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was rushed by a man during a town hall event Tuesday evening and sprayed with a liquid using a syringe.
Footage from the event shows a man approaching Omar at her lectern as she was giving a speech and spraying an unknown substance in her direction, before being quickly tackled by security. Omar called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment immediately before the assault.
Noem faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle following the fatal shot 37 years old Alex Pretti, intensive care nurse by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Omar’s staff can be heard urging him to move away and get “checked out”, while others nearby say the substance smelled bad.
“We will continue,” Omar replied. “Those fucking assholes aren’t going to get away with this.”
A statement from Omar’s office released after the event indicates that the individual who approached and sprayed the MP is now in custody.
“The congresswoman is doing well,” the statement said. “She continued her town hall because she doesn’t let the bullies win.”
A syringe lies on the ground after a man, left, approached Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, during a town hall event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. The man was apprehended after spraying an unknown substance according to the Associated Press. Photographer: Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Omar later said on social media that she would not be intimidated.
I’m doing well. I’m a survivor, so this little agitator isn’t going to intimidate me and stop me from doing my job.
I don’t let the bullies win.
I am grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.
– Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 28, 2026
As Omar continued her remarks at the town hall, she said, “We are strong in Minnesota and we will remain resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
Just three days ago, fellow Democrat Maxwell Frost of Florida said he was attacked at the Sundance Film Festival by a man “who told me Trump was going to deport me before punching me in the face.”
Threats against congressional lawmakers are increasing. Last year, security funding increased following growing concerns about political violence in the country.
According to the U.S. Capitol Police, the number of threat assessment cases has increased for the third year in a row. In 2025, the USCP investigated 14,938 “regarding statements, conduct, and communications” directed to congressional lawmakers, their families, and staff. This figure represents an increase of almost 58% compared to 2024.
