Omar continued with the town hall in north Minneapolis as the man was taken away.
MINNEAPOLIS — Hours after the chaotic town hall where a man lunged at Rep. Ilhan Omar and sprayed her with a liquid, forensic investigators have determined the substance likely used was apple cider vinegar.
Videos captured the man surging forward and spraying Omar with a substance as she was speaking at a town hall event in north Minneapolis. Security guards tackled Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55, to the floor, and he was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault.
The FBI is now leading the investigation and while Kazmierczak was booked into the Hennepin County jail on suspicion of third-degree assault, charges will likely be filed in federal court.
CNN confirmed with a law enforcement source on Wednesday that the substance was likely apple cider vinegar.
Omar continued to speak after the attack, refusing requests from her team to pause and change her clothes.
“The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win,” Omar’s office said in a statement.
The attack occurred hours after President Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Iowa on Tuesday, mentioning Omar.
“She comes from a country that’s a disaster. So probably, it’s considered, I think — it’s not even a country,” Trump said at the rally.
ABC News reported that Trump was asked if he viewed the video of the attack, and he responded with the following:
“No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud. I really don’t think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” Trump said.
CNN reports that Kazmierczak has a history of posting political content on social media and has posted content ridiculing Omar’s stance on defunding police in 2021.
Kazmierczak’s nephew, Shepard Yzermans, says he’s not surprised his uncle attacked the congresswoman and says he did it because Kazmierczak disagrees with her political views.
“He’s very, I want to say, devout, in his political views and he hasn’t exactly been the most kind person,” said Yzermans. “She’s just a symbol for something he doesn’t like.”
Yzermans confirms that his uncle also struggles with substance abuse. His criminal history is mostly traffic violations, but also includes at least 10 DUIs. He says his family even wrote a letter of apology to Omar’s office.
“We are not those kinds of people,” said Yzermans, who hasn’t spoken to his uncle in at least a year. “I don’t think she deserves that and we should be treating each other with dignity and respect.”