U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar has accused former President Donald Trump of fuelling hatred and threats against her, saying his repeated attacks have led to a sharp rise in death threats since she entered public office.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, a day after a man charged toward her podium during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, Omar said the incident was part of a broader pattern linked to Trump’s rhetoric.
“Facts matter. And what the facts have shown since I was elected is that every time the President of the United States chooses to use hateful rhetoric against me and the community I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” she said.
Police said the suspect, 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, was seen using a syringe to spray an unknown liquid toward the congresswoman during the event on Tuesday. He was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault. Authorities later confirmed that the liquid was non-toxic.
Omar claimed the attacker appeared to be motivated by frustration over Trump-era immigration policies, alleging that the man was upset about what he perceived as insufficient deportations of Somalis and targeted her because he believed she was protecting the community.
Neither the FBI, which has taken over the investigation, nor Minneapolis police have confirmed a motive for the attack.
Omar has long been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, which in recent years has coincided with intensified rhetoric aimed at Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the United States. In recent weeks, Trump reportedly described Omar using derogatory language and suggested she should be removed from the country.
In a phone interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Trump, without providing evidence, speculated that Omar may have staged the incident, a claim she strongly rejected.
Asked whether the attack would affect her willingness to attend public events, Omar said it would not.
“My presence here should show that fear and intimidation do not work on me,” she said, adding that attempts to pressure her into leaving public service had failed and would continue to fail.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis over federal immigration enforcement operations, which have sparked criticism from local officials.
Despite the attack, Omar said she remains undeterred.
“I’ve survived much worse. I will survive intimidation and whatever they think they can throw at me,” she said.
U.S. Capitol Police noted that threats against members of Congress have risen for the third consecutive year, with nearly 15,000 concerning cases investigated last year alone. In a statement following the incident, the agency said the suspect would face serious charges, stressing that violence against elected officials would not be tolerated.
