'Nonstop hate and dangerous rhetoric' by Trump and allies fuelled attack on Ilhan Omar say critics

People from across the political spectrum are reacting to an attack on Representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall in Minnesota by a man using a "mysterious" liquid substance.

On Tuesday evening, Anthony Kazmierczak, a 55-year-old supporter of US President Donald Trump, attended the event at the Urban League Twin Cities facility, where he charged the stage and sprayed the congresswoman with a liquid substance that nearby observers reportedly said was orange and smelled terrible.

Omar had just made remarks in which she stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can’t be reformed and should be abolished, and that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should resign or face impeachment.

Moments after the attack, she said she would continue speaking, and later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "I'm a survivor so this small agitator isn't going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don't let bullies win."

As of Wednesday morning in the US, multiple Democrats and a few Republicans have publicly reacted to the incident.

After learning of the news on Tuesday, Nancy Mace, a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina, wrote on X, "I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today. Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric – and I do – no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are."

Meanwhile, several prominent Democrats are pointing to Republicans, particularly Trump, for repeated personal attacks on Omar related to her Somali background.

Hours before the attack on her in Minnesota, Trump gave a speech in Iowa in which he derided Omar for her Somali background.

In his speech, Trump said that immigrants should "show that they love our country."

He focused on Omar, saying, "They have to be proud – not like Ilhan Omar. Did you see what, did you see that wise guy? You know she's always talking about the constitution, you know, provides me with the following. You know, the constitution, she comes from a country that's a disaster. It's probably considered the [worst]. It's not even a country, OK? It barely has a government. I don't think it does."

Trump then went on to say Somalis are only good at piracy, though he said they can't do that anymore because they would get attacked. "Boom, boom, boom," Trump said, followed by applause.

The timing of Trump's speech was not lost on some of the country's top Democrats, who were quick to link some of the party's inflammatory rhetoric on Somalis, specifically Omar, to Tuesday's attack.

"The cruel, inflammatory, dehumanising rhetoric by our nation's leaders needs to stop immediately," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in a public statement. Earlier this month, he dropped his reelection bid amid public scrutiny for not sufficiently investigating a social services fraud case, in which many of the accused are from Minnesota’s Somali community.

Similarly, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas wrote on X, "I am disgusted and outraged by the attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar tonight while she was doing her job and meeting with constituents. Let's be clear: nonstop hate and dangerous rhetoric from Trump and his allies has [sic] fueled this type of violence."

By contrast, many of Omar's critics, including Trump, have suggested that she was behind her own attack. "She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her," he said, following a question from a reporter about the incident.