Mystery Fluid Identified After Rep. Ilhan Omar Suffers Town Hall Attack

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s latest town hall was meant to focus on public safety and immigration reform. Instead, it turned into a disturbing snapshot of the political climate under President Trump’s second term.

According to officials, a 55-year-old Minnesota man, Anthony James Kazmierczak, lunged at Omar during the Tuesday evening event and sprayed her with a syringe filled with what a hazmat team later identified as apple cider vinegar. The incident was captured on video and immediately set off panic inside the packed Minneapolis community center.

Witnesses said the odor was sharp and acidic. Several attendees initially feared the congresswoman had been doused with a harmful chemical.

“I thought it was acid,” said attendee Mariah Holte, who was seated two rows behind Omar. “People around me gasped. You could hear chairs scraping. Nobody knew what was going on.”

The attack came less than a minute after Omar criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling for her resignation or impeachment over a string of fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Omar has emerged as one of the most vocal Democratic critics of the Trump administration’s expanded enforcement tactics, a stance that has drawn heavy backlash from conservative activists.

A staffer for Omar, speaking on background, said the timing was “not a coincidence,” describing the assault as a direct reflection of rising hostility toward women of color in public office.

“This kind of intimidation is exactly what extremists want,” the staffer said. “But Congresswoman Omar will not be silenced.”

Security rushed forward as Kazmierczak was tackled by attendees and officers. Police say he has a history of criminal offenses, including multiple DUIs, and is now charged with third-degree assault.

Omar, shaken but steady, chose to continue the event.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she told the crowd afterward. “A society where public servants are attacked for doing their jobs is a society in crisis. But we will not let a few a–holes define who we are or who we can be.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the attack, calling it “completely unacceptable” and warning of growing volatility in political spaces. “Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can debate passionately, but we cannot allow this level of hostility to become normal.”

Investigators confirmed that the FBI is now leading the case. Federal authorities are exploring whether the assault was politically motivated or connected to recent online threats directed at Omar since Trump’s inauguration.

A retired FBI counterterror official who reviewed the video described it as “alarming,” adding, “Even a seemingly harmless substance becomes a weapon when delivered with intent to harm a sitting member of Congress.”

Omar’s office said she is physically fine and continuing her schedule, though they are reassessing security at district events.

“This is where I’m from,” she told reporters. “I won’t be chased out of my own community.”

As the investigation continues, Democratic lawmakers have renewed calls for stronger protections against harassment and politically motivated attacks — especially as tensions escalate nationwide under Trump’s presidency.