House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday said he hasn’t seen “any evidence” that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) staged an attack on herself at a town hall earlier this week.
“I don’t have any evidence to believe that’s true. Look, we deal with member security issues that arise. I called her, as I do any member who has a situation like that,” Johnson told reporters in the Capitol.
“I talked with her briefly, I think she felt like she had adequate protection there, she continued her town hall,” he added.
Omar’s attacker was identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, who was tackled to the ground and arrested Tuesday evening after spraying Omar with an unknown substance during a town hall in her district while the lawmaker was critiquing White House policies, including immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
After the attack, President Trump told ABC News she “probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
The president also referred to her as a “fraud” after weeks of criticism against the sole Somali American lawmaker in Congress.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said the attack was “certainly” spurred by Trump’s rhetoric surrounding immigration and Somali immigrants specifically, whom the White House leader has referred to as “garbage.”
Omar wrote later Tuesday on the social platform X: “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work.”
“I don’t let bullies win,” she added. “Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”
Johnson urged all lawmakers to “stay safe.”
“We need all lawmakers to stay safe, it’s a dangerous time,” he told reporters.
His comments follow an increase in political violence, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, death of former Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and an attack on Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.)