WASHINGTON, Jan 28: US President Donald Trump has insinuated that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, known for wearing a hijab, may have staged an incident at her town hall meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the event on Tuesday night, a man sprayed her with an unidentified substance.
Trump expressed skepticism, telling ABC News, “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” without providing evidence to support his claim.
When questioned about whether he had seen 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, streamed live, showed the man standing and shouting at Ms. Omar, a Democrat, as she called for the resignation or impeachment of US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following two fatal shootings involving immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis. The individual was subdued and arrested after spraying Ms. Omar.
Ms. Omar continued with the town hall despite the incident, declaring, “(They) are not going to get away with it.”
After the event, she spoke with more defiance, 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 the social platform X, the Minnesota Democrat assured supporters, “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work.” She also insisted, “I don’t let bullies win,” expressing gratitude towards her constituents, stating, “Minnesota strong.”
Trump has a history of xenophobic remarks directed at Ms. Omar, the only Somali American member of Congress. Just hours before the Tuesday incident, he criticized her during a speech in Iowa, stating, “She comes from a country that’s a disaster. It’s considered, I think, the worst [country]. It’s not even a country.”
