US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has accused former President Donald Trump of fuelling a sharp rise in death threats against her, after a man allegedly sprayed her with a chemical substance during a public event in Minneapolis this week.
The incident, which happened on Tuesday, has reignited debate around political rhetoric, public safety, and extremism, issues that closely resonate with UK audiences watching growing polarisation in Western democracies.
What happened to Ilhan Omar in Minneapolis?
On Tuesday afternoon, Ilhan Omar, a Democratic congresswoman for Minnesota, was speaking at the Karmel Mall in Minneapolis when a man allegedly attacked her by spraying an unknown liquid from a syringe during a press conference.
US authorities identified the suspect as 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak, who was immediately tackled by security officers at the scene.
Police later confirmed he was taken into custody and is currently being held on a preliminary third-degree assault charge. Investigations into the substance used remain ongoing.
Despite the incident, Omar returned to the same location the following day to address reporters and supporters.
“I think my presence here should tell you that fear and intimidation don’t work on me,” Omar said during Wednesday’s news conference.
Why does Ilhan Omar blame Donald Trump?
Omar directly linked the alleged attack and a wider pattern of threats to what she described as Donald Trump’s repeated use of hostile language against her since she entered Congress in 2019.
She told reporters that spikes in threats against her closely match periods when Trump publicly criticised her.
“Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” Omar said.
🚨BREAKING: In her first appearance after the attack, Ilhan Omar BLAMES Trump’s words for fueling it.
“Every time the president… uses hateful rhetoric to talk about me… my death threats skyrocket.”
This is what stochastic terrorism looks like. Trump OWNS this. https://t.co/TCuZf6iElh pic.twitter.com/AnKF9YvKs2
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) January 29, 2026
She contrasted this with the period between 2021 and 2025, when President Joe Biden was in office. “Then Biden got elected, and for four years it almost plummeted. Then he came back into office, and he resumed his vitriol,” she added.
According to Omar, she now receives more threats than any other member of the US Congress, requiring round-the-clock protection from Capitol Police.
How serious are the threats against Ilhan Omar?
Omar said she previously needed six Capitol Police officers to provide 24-hour security for herself and her family, an extraordinary measure that underscores the severity of the situation.
While US authorities do not routinely publish individual threat figures, multiple congressional security reports over recent years have confirmed a sharp rise in threats against lawmakers, particularly women and ethnic minorities.
For UK readers, the issue mirrors growing concerns around the safety of MPs, especially following the murders of Sir David Amess in 2021 and Jo Cox in 2016, cases that continue to shape political security policies in Britain.
What was Trump’s response to the attack?
When asked about the alleged spray attack, Donald Trump dismissed the incident and suggested it may have been staged.
Speaking to ABC News, Trump reportedly said, “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud… She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
Omar responded strongly, pointing out the contradiction between Trump publicly mentioning her at a rally shortly before the incident and later claiming he does not think about her.
“Ironically, just last night he was on stage moments before I was attacked, talking about me,” she said.
What was Ilhan Omar speaking about at the time?
The incident occurred shortly after Omar renewed her calls to abolish US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Her comments followed the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during federal immigration enforcement operations. This case has sparked protests and renewed scrutiny of immigration policing in the US.
Omar alleged that her attacker was motivated by anger over immigration policy. “He was upset that Trump’s order to deport Somalis was not yielding enough deportations of Somalis,” she said.
Why does this matter to a UK audience?
Although this incident took place in the US, the broader themes, political hostility, online radicalisation, and threats against elected officials, are highly relevant to the UK.
British MPs continue to operate under increased security, with taxpayer-funded protection costs running into millions of pounds each year.
The UK Parliament has repeatedly warned that aggressive political language can translate into real-world violence.
Experts in political extremism have also warned that imported US-style culture wars are increasingly influencing UK political debate through social media and online platforms.
What happens next in the case?
Anthony James Kazmierczak remains in custody as prosecutors consider further charges. Police are still analysing the chemical substance used in the alleged attack.
Meanwhile, Omar has vowed to continue holding public events despite the risks, insisting that intimidation will not silence her.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today, having to pay for security, if Donald Trump weren’t in office and wasn’t so obsessed with me,” she said.
