Trump Doubles Down on Anti-Somali Rhetoric After Omar Attack

"She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her," President Trump said, victim-blaming Rep. Ilhan Omar just hours after the Somali American congresswoman was attacked with an unknown liquid at a town hall meeting.

The Attack and Trump's Response

On Tuesday, Ilhan Omar, who represents Minneapolis in Congress, was sprayed with an unidentified liquid from a syringe by an attacker during a town hall. Though unharmed and able to continue the event, the incident was deeply alarming—coming after months of Trump's virulently racist rhetoric targeting Somali Americans.

When asked about the attack that evening, Trump didn't condemn the violence or express concern for Omar's safety. Instead, he told ABC: "I think she's a fraud... She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."

The response reveals something chilling: even when his rhetoric appears to inspire real-world violence, Trump escalates rather than retreats.

A Pattern of Escalating Hatred

Trump's attacks on Omar aren't new, but they've grown darker. In 2019, he told Omar and three other congresswomen of color to "go back" to their home countries—though only Omar was born outside the US, and she's a naturalized citizen.

Recent months have seen a dramatic escalation. In December, Trump called Somali immigrants "garbage" who have "destroyed our country." This month, he said: "I always say these are low-IQ people. How do they go into Minnesota and steal all that money?"

These aren't isolated comments. They're part of a sustained campaign of dehumanization that's now manifesting in brutal immigration operations targeting Somali communities—first in Minneapolis, now expanding to Maine.

When Words Become Weapons

We can't definitively link Trump's rhetoric to Tuesday's attack, though evidence suggests the attacker supported Trump. But what we can see is troubling enough: a clear escalation from verbal dehumanization to collective punishment policies.

The logic is simple and sinister. First, paint an entire community as criminals and parasites. Then, when that rhetoric creates a climate where attacks feel justified, blame the victims themselves.

This isn't just about one congresswoman or one community. It's about how quickly political hate speech can normalize violence against targeted groups.

The Dehumanization Playbook

Trump's response to the Omar attack follows a familiar pattern: deny, deflect, and double down. Rather than acknowledging the potential connection between his words and real-world harm, he suggests the victim staged her own attack.

This isn't political theater—it's a deliberate strategy of dehumanization that makes future violence more likely. When leaders consistently portray certain groups as less than human, they create permission structures for others to act on that hatred.