Ilhan Omar Slams Trump as ‘Lacking Compassion’ After He Questions Town Hall Attack
WASHINGTON — Representative Ilhan Omar sharply criticized President Donald Trump this week, accusing him of lacking basic decency and compassion after he cast doubt on an assault against her at a Minneapolis town hall event.
On Tuesday, a man approached Omar during a public forum and sprayed a liquid from a syringe toward her. Authorities later determined the substance was a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar, and federal and local prosecutors have charged the suspect with assaulting a federal official.
Trump responded to the incident by suggesting, without evidence, that Omar “probably had herself sprayed,” remarks that drew swift backlash from Democratic lawmakers and some Republican colleagues.
In a Thursday interview on CNN, Omar contrasted her own reaction to violence with what she described as Trump’s callous approach. “The difference between the president and I is that I was raised to be a decent human being and my faith teaches me to have compassion, and he lacks both of those things,” she said, referencing her own faith and background.
Omar repeatedly highlighted her earlier response to a 2024 assassination attempt on Trump, when she publicly condemned the violence and urged calm, saying that moment illustrated the moral difference between their approaches.
The dispute has intensified broader debates about political rhetoric in the United States, with critics of Trump arguing that his language contributes to an atmosphere of hostility toward lawmakers like Omar. Omar has linked rising threats against her and members of the Somali-American community to years of negative commentary from Trump and his allies.
The White House has not issued a detailed response to Omar’s comments. Speaker of the House and other senior congressional leaders have called for a unified condemnation of violence, though divisions remain over the president’s characterization of the town hall incident.
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