Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) held a press conference on Wednesday, blaming what she called President Donald Trump’s “hateful rhetoric” for contributing to a hostile political climate after a man was arrested on charges of attacking her at a town hall in Minneapolis the day before.
Omar, a Somali refugee, has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism and said the incident reflects what happens when political leaders normalize personal attacks and inflammatory language.
“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,” Omar said during a press conference.
The man charged in the attack, 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, rushed the podium during a town hall on Tuesday and sprayed Omar with a syringe filled with a light brown liquid, which was later found to be apple cider vinegar. Omar attempted to go after the man with her fist raised, insisting in an interview with MS Now on Wednesday that he was “saved by the security.”
Kazmierczak was referred to as a “right-wing extremist” by his brother and had disdain for the Somali community for over 20 years. He was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault after being quickly apprehended following the attack.
Trump has expressed criticism toward Omar prior to the events surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota, saying she should “go back” when she was first elected seven years ago.
She said she received death threats during the president’s first term that stopped when Joe Biden took office, and they later resumed when Trump was reelected.
“I became a freshman, who nobody should have actually known … to having the most death threats of any member of Congress,” Omar said, drawing a correlation between Trump’s presidency and her threats.
She added that she wouldn’t have to pay for security or have the government provide it if Trump weren’t in office and if he weren’t “so obsessed” with her.
Trump was asked what he thought about the attack on Omar, to which he responded, “I don’t think about her.”
Omar said the president’s answer was odd, given that he mentioned her during his speech in Iowa earlier in the day. She then questioned the president’s health, asking, “Is he suffering from dementia?” and suggested in a CNN interview Wednesday night that “maybe it is time for the 25th Amendment to be invoked.”
MAN CHARGED IN ILHAN OMAR ATTACK HAS LENGTHY CRIMINAL HISTORY, INCLUDING DUI ARRESTS
The attack on Omar comes days after another Democrat, Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), said he was punched in the face at an event in Utah, with his attacker saying, “We are going to deport you and your kind.”
Despite the attack, Omar said she plans to continue holding in-person town halls.
