Featured Image Credit: Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Social Media, News, Crime
Madison Burgess
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Social Media, News, Crime
A Congresswoman who was attacked with an unknown substance has hit back at Donald Trump's shocking accusation that she 'staged' it.
Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar, 43, was sprayed with 'foul-smelling liquid' while hosting a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday (27 January).
The terrifying moment, which saw a man suddenly emerge from his front-row seat and shoot the substance towards her from a syringe, was caught on camera and has since been circulating social media.
The attacker, who as per CNN has since been identified as Minneapolis resident Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, was wrestled to the ground in the aftermath and has since been arrested and charged with third-degree assault.
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Omar was giving an anti-ICE speech when the attack took place, as well as insisting that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem 'must resign or face impeachment'.
Watch the moment the attack unfolded here:
Trump reacted to the attack later that evening, while speaking to ABC News' Rachel Scott, where he claimed hadn't seen a video of the assault before accusing Omar of staging the entire thing herself, without any evidence.
He told the news outlet: "I don't think about her. I think she's a fraud. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."
The attack also came just after Trump, who has previously targeted Omar, wrote a scathing Truth Social post about the congresswoman, which read: "The DOJ and Congress are looking at 'Congresswoman' Illhan Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars. Time will tell all. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
He also called for Omar, who arrived in the US as a refugee as a child and has been a citizen for more than 25 years, to be 'sent back to Somalia' in a post on Truth Social.
Now, the Democrat has responded to Trump's comments about the attack in a new interview on CNN's The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday (28 January).
The host pointed out that after Trump's assassination attempt, Omar put out a tweet 'condemning the act of violence' and 'praying for the victims'.
Responding, Omar said: "The difference between the president and I is that I was raised to be a decent human being and my faith teaches me to have compassion, and he lacks both of those things."
She added: "This is also somebody who was talking about me in his town hall in Iowa, and then seems to exhibit some sort of dementia when he says he doesn't think about me.
"Maybe it is time for the 25th amendment to be invoked, because he certainly cannot remember what he said and has done an hour ago."
As per TIME, Omar also slammed Trump's 'hateful rhetoric' against her and implied that he has now made her a target for other attacks.
She said: "What the facts have shown, since I’ve gotten into elected office, is that 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.
"I wouldn’t be where I am at today, having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security, if Donald Trump wasn’t in office and if he wasn’t so obsessed with me."
Omar added: "You know, I've survived more, and I'm definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think that they can throw at me because I'm built that way."
Tyla has contacted the White House for comment.