MaddowBlog-Asked about Ilhan Omar being accosted, Trump's ugly response spoke volumes
It wouldve been easy for the president to say, No elected official should ever face violence, assaults or threats. But Trump is who he appears to be.
After Ilhan Omar was accosted, it wouldâve been incredibly easy for Trump to say, âNo elected official should ever face violence, assaults, or threats.â
But since he is who he appears to be, Trump refused to denounce the incident â and instead peddled conspiratorial nonsense.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-28T14:00:17.074Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/asked-about-ilhan-omar-being-accosted-trumps-ugly-response-spoke-volumes
Four days later, another member of Congress who, like Frost is both Black and a House Democrat was accosted. MS NOW reported:
The Minneapolis Police Department announced it had arrested and identified a suspect after Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was interrupted by a man who approached her at a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
While Omar was speaking, a man approached the congresswoman, was quickly tackled to the ground, and Omar continued speaking after the interruption.
Im ok, Omar wrote on social media after the incident
. Im a survivor so this small agitator isnt going to intimidate me from doing my work. I dont let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.....
Around the same time, ABC News asked Donald Trump for his reaction to Omar having been accosted. It wouldve been incredibly easy for the president to simply say, No elected official should ever face violence, assaults or threats. I have no tolerance for incidents like these.
But Trump is who he appears to be.
I think shes a fraud, the president said, overlooking his own troubled past with fraud allegations. He added,
She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.
Asked if he had seen the video of the incident, the president, who has obsessed over Omar for far too long, said that he had not, adding,
I hope I dont have to bother.
Im trying to imagine what the reaction would be if two Republican members of Congress were assaulted over the course of five days, and a Democratic president made no effort to denounce the incidents and instead responded with ugly and conspiratorial nonsense.