CNN's Abby Phillip blames Trump for 'vitriol' behind Omar town hall attack

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Abby Phillip says Trump is 'responsible for the vitriol' behind Ilhan Omar town hall attack

"CNN NewsNight" host Abby Phillip said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is "responsible for the vitriol" behind the recent attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar at a Minnesota town hall.

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CNN anchor Abby Phillip said President Donald Trump is "responsible for the vitriol" behind the attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., at a Minnesota town hall on Tuesday.

During Tuesday’s broadcast of "CNN NewsNight," Phillip argued that Omar has been "the center of a lot of awful attacks" by Trump before asking former Minnesota attorney general candidate Jim Schultz, a Republican, whether the president should call the congresswoman following the attack.

Trump previously called Omar "garbage" during a Cabinet meeting in December, accusing her and fellow Somali migrants to the U.S. of coming to the country and offering nothing but complaints.

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CNN host Abby Phillip claimed President Donald Trump is "responsible for the vitriol" behind Tuesday's attack on Ilhan Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

"What should the president do? Should he pick up the phone and call her? Should he? Should anybody say, ‘Enough is enough, we need to tone this down,’ particularly when it comes to her?" Phillip asked.

Schultz replied that "we should be saying enough is enough across the board on these things," and while it's up to Trump whether to call Omar, he would do so if he were the president.

"Here's the thing, though. Donald Trump is actually responsible for the vitriol. So is there going to be any acknowledgment of that?" Phillip shot back. "Should there be?"

Schultz reiterated that he would give Omar a call "to see if she's OK" if he were president because "that's what we do as Americans."

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn before boarding Marine One at the White House on Jan. 16, 2026, in Washington, DC; Representative Ilhan Omar during a field hearing at the Minnesota Senate Building in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images; Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg)

"We should pick up the phone and care about someone on the other side, even though you vehemently disagree with everything they say," he added.

The White House did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance by a man that charged at her while she was speaking at a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday night.

The congresswoman was immediately pulled away by her security and the man was tackled and restrained. Omar appeared to be shaken but largely unharmed.

"We will continue. These f--king a--holes are not going to get away with this," Omar shouted as the room reacted.

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Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance during a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 27. (Fox News)

"It smells terrible," a member of her entourage said as she urged Omar to stop and get checked out.

The Minneapolis Police Department identified the suspect as Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, who was charged with third-degree assault.

The incident happened as Omar was hosting her first in-person town hall of the year in North Minneapolis.

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Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey and Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

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