WASHINGTON, Jan 28: US President Donald Trump has insinuated that American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, known for wearing a hijab, orchestrated an incident at her town hall meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday night. During the event, she was sprayed with an unknown substance by a man.
In an interview with ABC News, Trump remarked, “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” suggesting, “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” although he provided no evidence.
When questioned if he had viewed footage of the incident, the president responded, “I haven’t seen it. No, no. I hope I don’t have to bother.”
The town hall livestream captured a man yelling at Ms. Omar, a Democrat, as she pushed for the resignation or impeachment of US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following two fatal shootings by immigration officers in Minneapolis. The man was subdued and arrested after spraying Ms. Omar.
Ms. Omar continued the town hall after the disruption, defiantly stating, “(They) are not going to get away with it.”
Following the event, she expressed her resilience further by stating, “I’ve survived war and I’m definitely going to survive intimidation or whatever these people think they can throw at me, because I’m built that way.”
Later on Tuesday, the Minnesota Democrat posted on the social media platform X: “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work.” She added, “I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”
Trump has often directed xenophobic rhetoric towards Ms. Omar, the sole Somali American in Congress. Hours before Tuesday’s incident, he criticized her again during a speech in Iowa, saying, “She comes from a country that’s a disaster. It’s considered, I think, the worst [country]. It’s not even a country.”
