A disruption at a Minneapolis town hall left attendees rattled Tuesday when a man ran toward Representative Ilhan Omar at the lectern and discharged a foul-smelling fluid in her direction.
Video of the incident shows a man surging forward and spraying a stream of liquid at Omar. A large man immediately intervened, grabbing the suspect and taking him to the ground. Omar stepped forward with her hand raised as the assailant was subdued and, after a short pause, she resumed the presentation.
Minneapolis police said officers at the event observed the suspect use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar. They arrested him on suspicion of third-degree assault and reported that Omar was uninjured. Forensic scientists were called to the scene to process evidence and the area.
Voices from the audience were audible in video of the incident. One woman said, "He sprayed something on her," and at least one other attendee commented on the unpleasant odor. As the suspect was removed, Omar was heard saying, "I need a napkin," and shortly afterward she told the crowd, "We will continue."
The disruption occurred while Omar was delivering remarks critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated, we must abolish ICE for good, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment," Omar declared, drawing applause from the audience.
According to witnesses and video, immediately after that exchange the man charged the lectern, sprayed the liquid at Omar and said, "You must resign." Authorities took the suspect into custody at the scene.
The incident unfolded against a backdrop noted in the remarks: Omar referenced the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in recent weeks and framed her comments within what she described as President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement surge. The representative has been a frequent target of political attacks; the incident comes after public remarks from President Trump criticizing Omar, including characterizations suggesting she does not love the United States. During a speech in Iowa on Tuesday, the president said, "They have to show that they can love our country, they have to be proud," and added, "Not like Ilhan Omar."
Police provided limited details about the suspect and his motives in their initial public statements, and officials confirmed that forensic specialists were collecting and analyzing evidence from the scene. Omar continued the town hall after the interruption.
Context and immediate response
Law enforcement action was swift: officers on site reported observing the use of a syringe to spray the unknown substance, detained the individual, and charged him with third-degree assault. The representative was evaluated and declared uninjured, and detectives engaged forensic teams to examine the evidence collected at the location.
The event's attendees reacted audibly to the incident, remarking on both the act itself and the odor of the spray. Omar addressed the disruption directly before moving on with the scheduled program.