An attack on Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar at a town hall late Tuesday drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle — but also drew plenty of questions from social media users, who questioned several odd details regarding the attack.
Notably, many raised suspicions about the legitimacy of the liquid attack based on the fact that Omar refused to seek treatment or get checked out, and the fact that footage seemed to indicate a nod toward the attacker just before the attack.
The alleged attacker was identified by ABC News as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak. He was booked at Hennepin County Jail for third-degree assault.
Omar had been telling the audience that Immigration and Customs Enforcement needed to be disbanded and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “must resign or face impeachment” for enforcement actions in Minneapolis and other cities.
As the crowd applauded, the man approached down the middle of the aisle and said something inaudible on the microphones, but which NBC News said sounded like “you must resign.” A liquid was then sprayed on her, police said from a syringe.
“Oh, my God, he sprayed something on her,” someone said as the man was tackled:
MOMENTS AGO: Major disturbance at Ilhan Omar’s town hall event.
Someone sprayed Omar with a substance as she was calling for Secretary Noem to resign or face impeachment.
She continued to speak afterward. pic.twitter.com/zZNWFVvyG5
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 28, 2026
Those who rushed to her aid insisted that she get checked out, but she refused, even though attendees noted the liquid had a strong odor. “We will continue,” she said, angrily. “These f***ing a******s are not going to get away with this.”
“I survived war, 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,” she told reporters after the event.
The town hall event continued for 25 more minutes after the liquid was sprayed on her.
The event drew condemnation from even her most vociferous opponents — including South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace.
“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,” she said on X.
However, the official statement from Omar’s office received some scrutiny online.
“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe. Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win,” the statement read.
The Office of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement following the incident at her town hall in North Minneapolis.
“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe. Security and the Minneapolis…
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) January 28, 2026
DataRepublican, a prominent conservative X pundit and programmer, challenged this version of events in the replies, saying that she “continued the town hall because of one of two options: 1) She does not have the self-preservation instincts accompanying being sprayed with a smelly substance, such as getting a doctor to check it out or even as simple as washing it off. 2) She staged it.”
“There are no other options,” she added.
Representative Omar continued her town hall because of one of two options:
1. She does not have the self-preservation instincts accompanying being sprayed with a smelly substance, such as getting a doctor to check it out or even as simple as washing it off.
2. She staged it.…
— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) January 28, 2026
One of the respondents noted that a more direct, head-on angle of Omar at the podium seemed to show her giving a nod toward the alleged perpetrator:
She gave him the “go ahead” nod just before he stood up. pic.twitter.com/D2ARJY249D
— Redfish (@texaslunker) January 28, 2026
Show this angle, where she literally makes eye contact and nods at the guy before he gets up. This is such a joke. pic.twitter.com/TVZegonsqb
— JessicaAnlauf (@JessicaAnlauf) January 28, 2026
The nod is visible, although not as prominent, in the side-angle footage of the attack, and the eye contact with the attacker is not clear at all.
Another noted that third-degree assault under Minnesota law involves someone who “inflicts substantial bodily harm” — something both Omar’s people and local law enforcement assured the media after the incident had not happened. This, they postulated, would lead to a not-guilty verdict if the charge went forward:
Yes which requires substantial bodily harm! It’s a guaranteed not guilty verdict all under corrupt Mary moriarty’s direction. pic.twitter.com/QyFjzfA4nX
— JessicaAnlauf (@JessicaAnlauf) January 28, 2026
It’s worth noting, however, that federal authorities were also on the case; U.S. Capitol Police released a statement after the attack saying it was “working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”
Another noted the lack of flinching from Omar as an indication that she might have seen it coming:
That is the biggest giveaway this was fake…she didnt flinch until after he squirted her, even though it was a big dude who stood up quickly directly in front of her. You would have noticed that way faster
— The Donks (@DraftDonks) January 28, 2026
And some made lighter references to the case of Jussie Smollett, the former “Empire” actor who was convicted of faking a hate crime on himself:
— jerzygurl-sister (@dawnbrown3866) January 28, 2026
However, to the extent there was suspicion on social media as of Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, it remained just that: suspicion on social media.
Both local and federal authorities were treating this as an attack, and forensic teams had been dispatched to the scene to discover what the liquid was that was sprayed on Omar. While Minneapolis police said that Omar “was uninjured and resumed speaking at the event,” they still called the offending agent “an unknown liquid.”
It was unclear from reports as of early Wednesday whether she had been examined by medical experts after the incident or how it was known the liquid wasn’t injurious.
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