Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on syringe attack: "They picked the wrong person"
Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said she is doing OK one day after a man sprayed her with what sources say was apple cider vinegar at a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday night.
Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, is in the Hennepin County Jail right now for allegedly assaulting Omar. He hasn't been formally charged as of Wednesday afternoon, but was booked for probable cause of third-degree assault. Minneapolis Police said the FBI is leading this investigation into the attack.
Omar, in an interview with WCCO News Wednesday, said she was looking down at her prepared remarks — she was only a few minutes into speaking — and heard a voice come close to her so she looked up and saw a man coming towards her.
"I thought he spit on me because it was liquids, kind of fragmented," Omar told WCCO, noting that she began to lunge towards him after she felt the substance on her before her security tackled him to the ground.
When asked if she was scared when it happened, Omar said she "learned very young" from growing up with brothers that it was "important for you to stand up for yourself."
"My instinct is always to defend myself if something like that were to happen," Omar said.
She continued with her constituent event after she was sprayed. She explained she didn't think it was anything chemical because she would've had a reaction to it. Republicans and Democrats alike condemned the attack.
The incident comes as threats against members of Congress are on the rise. U.S. Capitol Police reported the number of threats they're investigating against members of Congress, their families and staff is on the rise. There was a 58% increase in number of cases from 2024 to 2025.
"I am really OK. What happened to me is not OK, but they picked the wrong person," Omar said. "I am not one to be intimidated."
An aide to the Congresswoman told WCCO'S Esme Murphy that attendees of the event were screened with a metal detector want before entry, but the syringe was plastic and it wasn't noticed.
Court records show Kazmierczak has a number of traffic violations, including two DWI convictions.
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told CBS News Wednesday he spoke with Omar after the incident, and said rhetoric from the White House about her does not help.
"The president constantly attacks Rep. Omar, attacks her citizenship, attacks the very decency of it, and we've asked him time and time again to stop it," Walz said. "I don't believe he's capable of stopping it."
