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The Source with Kaitlan Collins

CNN Holds Town Hall With Minnesota Leaders; Trump Mocks Omar After Attack: "She Probably Had Herself Sprayed"; Homan To Hold Press Conference In Minneapolis Tomorrow. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired January 28, 2026 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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(CNN TOWN HALL - STATE OF EMERGENCY: CONFRONTING THE CRISIS IN MINNESOTA)

[21:30:00]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: --Kaitlan Collins is up next, with a special interview with her guest, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

We'll be right back.

(APPLAUSE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: And good evening. I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is a special edition of THE SOURCE, live from Washington.

You've just been watching CNN's Town Hall in Minneapolis, where tensions have still been high, following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officials.

I want to get straight to our experts tonight, because joining me here in response to what you just watched:

Former FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez.

Van Jones.

And Shermichael Singleton.

I should note, we have an interview with Minnesota Representative, Ilhan Omar, coming up this hour. We'll speak with her about the attack that happened on her, in her home state, last night, while she was speaking with constituents at her own town hall. So stay tuned for that.

But Van Jones, just first, as we were listening to the Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, we were listening to the Police Chief, those Republicans, the faith leaders. What stood out to you from what you heard on the ground, in Minneapolis, tonight? VAN JONES, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Just -- first of all, the dignity of the people who are there, trying to just deal with the unimaginable.

I've talked to a lot of people who are on the ground there, and we're barely scratching the surface, even as much coverage as we're doing, of what's happening to actual people. The level of fear, trauma. People who are Native American. You can't deport a Native American. They're Native American. They're living in terror, because they're being disappeared.

And so, to see people who I know the level of agony and fear that they're living with, to sit there and be dignified and try to explain what's going on, I thought was really good.

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Disappointed with some of the Republican lawmakers who just couldn't seem to understand that this is unconstitutional behavior by a government agency. And to see the Republican Party walk away from its values, that Americans should not be run over by government agencies, that Americans have rights, that due process does matter in a democratic republic, is pretty shocking that was on display. Just -- that was disappointing.

But the dignity of the people, facing this onslaught, I thought, was beautiful.

COLLINS: Well, and Shermichael Singleton, you're here with us as well. I should note, you're a gun owner, a firearms instructor.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes.

COLLINS: You run a digital network that actually has partnerships with the NRA and with Gun Owners of America.

SINGLETON: Yes.

COLLINS: We spoke with one of them on Sunday night, in the aftermath of this attack.

There were questions for Mayor Frey about Minneapolis being a sanctuary city, police, and how they are cooperating, or not cooperating, with federal officials. I wonder what you made of what you heard tonight.

SINGLETON: I mean, look, I think that everything Van said was pretty spot on. You certainly want to protect the rights of Americans. And you want to protect the rights of individuals who aren't here legally. There is a process. I think we can all acknowledge that.

But I think even the former Deputy FBI Director could speak to the fact that we have done a series of Joint Task Force operations, throughout our country's history, where federal law enforcement will work with state and local policing to accomplish an aim. I was a bit disappointed to hear the Mayor not really acknowledge that that is necessary. If you're going to do this a better way, if you're going to try to tackle this from a more operationally-sound perspective, you have to be able to work with state and local officials. That's the only way you can accomplish this. And so, I was disappointed in that regard.

COLLINS: Well, I mean, what Mayor Frey was saying to Anderson and Sara was that he doesn't believe this is about immigration or fairness or the law. He thinks it's about retribution, was the word that he had used.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Yes, it's hard to argue with that.

I think his comments that really stood out to me were the ones he made really at the very beginning of the town hall, in which he made it clear that despite the productivity that they have had, on federal task forces, on other issues, you know, Violent Crimes Task Forces, I'm sure they're probably president -- or, I'm sorry -- present on the Joint Terrorism Task Force. They have.

They're operating with a police department of about 600 officers in a city of about half a million people. His priority is to use those officers keeping people safe. Not doing what the federal government is supposed to be doing on immigration. He also has to deal with local ordinances that prohibit his officers from participating in immigration enforcement activities.

So, it's not quite so simple as the mayor, or the governor, just deciding not to cooperate for political reasons. There's legislative reasons behind this. And he's got priorities that include many other violations, other than federal government immigration enforcement.

JONES: Can I just -- just to -- something to add to this. I don't think people understand the numbers that you just said. In Chicago, you got 4 million people. They sent -- the federal government sent a couple hundred agents there, and it was pretty controversial.

MCCABE: That's right.

JONES: You're talking about a city with 400,000 people, 600 cops, and 2,000 to 3,000 agents.

MCCABE: That's exactly right.

JONES: This is a shock to people. It feels like an invasion. And so, when you see people come out, and they're protesting like this, which you've never seen before at this number, it's because something is happening that is shocking the conscious of ordinary people.

To have 3,000 agents? Can you imagine if President Obama had decided to fight opioids, he was going to send 3,000 agents to a small red state town in Kentucky? Can you imagine? And then people were shot, people were thrown to the ground. The reaction would have been the same. This is not about paid protesters. This is about patriots who are seeing their rights run over, who are seeing their neighbors hurt. And--

SINGLETON: But isn't--

JONES: And I'm just -- I just want to say, the numbers here are so overwhelming, that's why you're seeing this backlash. They're not paid.

SINGLETON: OK. But can I just pushback--

(CROSSTALK)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What everyone is observing in this moment is that there is a fundamental distrust at the micro level and at the macro level.

So, if you look at, at the micro, it's what you were referring to, between local police departments and federal immigration officers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been in Minneapolis for decades. They've been in multiple cities across the country for a very long time.

But what has happened here is that, and we have seen it and heard it from the police chiefs, is that even some of their own officers are getting pulled over. There is distrust that has been sown within this community, and that hurts the relationship. Now, the Chief said during the Town Hall, they're in a better place today. But the task for the White House Border Czar, Tom Homan, and we know he's been in back-to- back meetings with local officials and federal officials, is trying to smooth that over.

And to your point, Van. At the macro level, the American public has questions about who is getting swept up and what the task is here for immigration enforcement officers. Not long ago, we were talking about the story of the 5-year-old Liam who was taken with his father into custody, and are in a family detention facility. So, when the administration is saying worst of the worst? And they are getting some people with long criminal track record -- or criminal records. They're also sweeping up others.

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And so, in the vacuum of this moment and in this month, no one in the American public, or rather, many people in the American public, just don't understand what the mission is anymore. And then there is distrust, big picture, as much as there is in Minneapolis.

COLLINS: Well, and the Mayor was also asked about that new video that surfaced--

SINGLETON: Yes, I saw that.

COLLINS: --showing of Alex Pretti before, probably think 11 days or so, before he was actually killed by federal agents. And in the video, you see him in this altercation with them. He kicks out a taillight on one of their cars. They get out of the car and come after him. His family put out a statement tonight.

But what the Mayor basically said was, that doesn't justify what happened on Saturday, like, how is that related to what those agents did on Saturday.

SINGLETON: I mean, look, it doesn't suggest that Mr. Frey perhaps was a bit aggravated with ICE being there. I guess this goes to the point that you were making, Van. It clearly does. I think he probably should have been arrested, in my personal opinion. At that point, maybe this could have been all avoided, I don't know.

That said, though, as it pertains to his right to carry a firearm at a protest. I mean, this is as old as the country is, going all the way back to the Boston Tea Party. I'm from the South. I can think about the Deacons Of Defense in Louisiana. They carried firearms while black Americans were protesting. So, I feel very strongly about this. We got to preserve that right.

Now, would I, as someone who's worked with people in the firearms industry, advise getting entangled in any kind of way with law enforcement with a gun on your person? Probably not. Because you got split seconds to make a decision, a lot can happen even though you have that right.

And so, I think that's why you've seen some trepidation from a lot of gun rights groups, saying, Wait a minute here. From the Executive. From the President. You need to be very careful with your language as it pertains to the Second Amendment. You can speak about the incident, but don't throw in the Second Amendment and your right to keep and bear arms into this, because it rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

COLLINS: Yes.

MCCABE: And I have to say, that earlier video from the nine days earlier, that proves nothing. That's Alex Pretti doing something stupid, kicking out the taillight of a car. Should he have been arrested in that moment for damaging federal property? Maybe.

JONES: Yes.

MCCABE: Good luck finding an AUSA to actually prosecute that, which is probably why he wasn't arrested.

They got out of the car and interacted with him, which was something they shouldn't have done. That was over and done with, before the assassination of Alex Pretti took place nine days later.

COLLINS: Yes.

And up next here for us. We're going to hear more from our panel.

But also tonight, we now know the FBI is leading an investigation into that attack we all saw, last night, on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. She was hosting her own town hall in Minnesota. She's going to join me, right after this, to talk about that, and also the President's response.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It was at a separate town hall in Minnesota, last night, where this moment happened to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. She was speaking, when a man charged her at the lectern. And forensic examiners have now determined with high probability, they say, that what was in that syringe that the man was holding was apple cider vinegar.

The 55-year-old man has been charged with assault in the third degree, and I should note, Capitol Police are also looking into pursuing potential federal charges against him tonight, which could include assaulting a member of Congress and impeding her from doing her official duties.

The President, who last night, in the hours before this attack, had been criticizing the Congresswoman, was asked about it in an interview with ABC News, where he told them that he doesn't think about her, and called her a fraud, as he said, quote, "She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."

And Congresswoman Ilhan Omar joins me now.

And I want to get to what the President said in a moment.

But just first off, watching this last night, when this man charged you, you initially went after him, and raised your fist, in that moment. That was your first reaction. I just -- what would have happened, do you think, if you had gotten to him before your security tackled him?

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): Well, I'm fortunate I didn't get to him, because I'd probably be catching charges as well.

COLLINS: I mean, just that moment, that instinct. And I should note, we are so grateful that you're OK. Obviously, we checked in with you and your team last night. I know you were dealing with the aftermath of this.

You continued your town hall. They wanted you to go get checked out. You said, No, you wanted to finish speaking first. Why was that important for you?

OMAR: Well, I realized a long time ago that whether it is the President's dangerous rhetoric, whether it is the death threats that I get, whether it is the right-wing vitriol, or this man attacking me, last night, their ultimate goal is to stop me from being a public servant, from serving my constituents with the dignity and the honor that they deserve.

And last night, I was carrying out a promise I made to my constituents that I would hold a town hall every single month, and be able to give them feedback on what I've been doing in Washington, D.C., and be able to answer their questions.

And so, it was really important for me, in that moment, to not allow this person intimidate me into running out of that room, and canceling that town hall. My constituents deserve to have their Congresswoman continue to do the work that they elected her to do, and that is my promise, and I will continue to do that.

COLLINS: I mean, and you are someone, you and I have spoken about this before, you have faced a lot of threats. I mean, what was going through your mind, in that moment? It must have been -- it must have been scary as well.

OMAR: Well, I thought -- I initially thought that the person spit on me. I saw some liquids that landed on the podium and on some of the papers that I was reading my report from. And so, it was a human reaction to want to do something to someone that is trying to degrade you in that kind of way, because I've never been able to back down to cowards who act in ways that are disgusting in society.

COLLINS: Yes, and it was disgusting and cowardly, obviously. And he is now facing charges, potentially federal charges, from Capitol Police. And in the hours--

OMAR: Yes, and they're supposed to take -- they're supposed to take him into federal custody tomorrow. So, charges should be coming at some point tomorrow, is my understanding.

COLLINS: Was he known to your team before this? Had he been on any kind of radar of y'all's or anything?

OMAR: No, I don't -- I don't think any of us have had a personal interaction with him. He wasn't flagged in the system when, you know we'd asked our team to look to see, I don't think -- it is not my belief, although we continue to dig into it, that he's attended a previous town hall of mine, either.

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COLLINS: OK. And as obviously we've seen his past political posts, and what he himself has said.

I mentioned the President's response, where he told ABC News after, just a few hours after this happened, She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.

Before you respond. I do want to remind everyone that when President Trump was nearly assassinated, you responded and said, We must condemn acts of violence and pray for the victims. May calmness and decency prevail. And you said, it was sad to hear the tragedy that had occurred.

What went through your mind when you heard the President's response last night?

OMAR: Well, the difference between the President and I is that I was raised to be a decent human being, and my faith teaches me to have compassion, and he lacks both of those things.

This is a president who presides over an administration that, when they assassinated Renee Good, told us that she was a domestic terrorist that was trying to kill the federal agents. When they assassinated Alex Pretti, they told us that he was a domestic terrorist who brandished (ph) a weapon.

None of those things are true, and they are known to be liars. They have constantly told us not to believe in our eyes. Fortunately, both of those assassinations were caught on camera, and so was what happened to me last night, caught on camera.

COLLINS: So when he claims it's staged, you say?

OMAR: Well, I mean, this is also somebody who was talking about me in his town hall, in Iowa, and then seems to exhibit some sort of dementia when he says he doesn't think about me. Maybe it is time for us to -- for the 25th Amendment to be invoked, because he certainly cannot remember what he has said and has done, an hour ago.

COLLINS: He was just posting about you, truly five minutes ago, before we came on air. I was looking at Truth Social, and he had posted about you. And it reminded me of what he said when he announced that he was sending Tom Homan into Minneapolis.

In that same post, he said, the Justice Department and Congress are looking at "Congresswoman" Ilhan Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars. Time will tell all.

Were you aware there is a DOJ investigation here? The New York Times says it started in part under the Biden Justice Department into your financial disclosure forms or into your -- to your finances and campaign spending. But were you aware that this Justice Department is looking into you?

OMAR: No. But I'm not surprised. Over the years, there have been investigations with the FEC, because people have filed complaints. So, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened in this case. And clearly, that investigation hasn't moved on because they don't have evidence of wrongdoing.

And so, I know that there's always been an attempt to smear my character, to smear the character of the community that I ethnically belong to. There's always this sort of sad reference to the fact that I'm a refugee. It seems like these people seem to have a problem with the fact that I am living the American Dream.

Yes, I was once a refugee. Yes, I did survive war. Yes, I did come to the United States when I was 12-years-old, not speaking English. But I did make it to the United States of Congress, representing our country, helping write the laws of this country, and helping appropriate the resources that are utilized by all Americans. So yes, that is the American Dream. They do not believe that the American Dream is possible, and I think the fact that I'm a visible representation of that American Dream pisses them off. COLLINS: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, thank you for joining us tonight. And we are so glad that you're safe after what happened last night. So, really appreciate your time tonight.

OMAR: Thank you. Appreciate it.

COLLINS: Up next. We're getting final thoughts, response to what the Congresswoman just said there, about the White House's comments on her, and also CNN's Town Hall in Minneapolis. We'll be right back.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: And welcome back to a special edition of THE SOURCE. And my panel is back here with me.

And Van Jones. You were just listening to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

JONES: Yes.

COLLINS: I mean, obviously, it's horrible how many acts of political violence we are seeing nowadays.

JONES: Look, the most important thing about the interview? Ilhan Omar is alive tonight. And she might not have been. These people are taking huge risks to be in public life. And I'm just glad she's alive.

COLLINS: Yes, it was a scary moment.

I mean, when you see that, and the President claims that it was staged and can't offer a condemnation of what happened. I wonder how you see that, Shermichael.

SINGLETON: Look, I just want to remind people that most members of Congress do not have a protective detail.

JONES: At all.

SINGLETON: Unless you're in leadership. And not all of them are included.

I mean, look, we're sitting on a powder keg here. We've seen what happened to the President on two -- several occasions. We've seen this over and over and over again. We got to lower the flames a little bit here.

COLLINS: Well, and that's part of why he -- I mean this, ostensibly, why Tom Homan is on the ground in Minneapolis. I should note, we're actually going to hear from him tomorrow at 08:00 a.m. He's holding a press conference for the first time, publicly, I think that he's going to -- have spoken since he's been on the ground there.

ALVAREZ: Yes. The resounding question during the Town Hall is, what comes next for Minneapolis? And that is what people will be looking into Tom Homan to have an answer. And the reason they're looking at him so closely is because Bovino, who was the commander, who was leading this crackdown and many controversial tactics, is out. He left Minneapolis. So, the question is, if Homan is in, and he's the one calling the shots, what does that look like for the people of Minneapolis?

COLLINS: And also, these agents who we learned today have been -- they're taken off the job, at least for right now, they're placed on administrative leave, I believe, is what they called it.

ALVAREZ: Yes.

COLLINS: The Attorney General said tonight, he wants to know their names, and he believes, ultimately he will.

But does it surprise you that he still does not know them?

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MCCABE: Absolutely. Absolutely. The fact that they're on administrative leave is about the only normal thing that's happened in the space of this investigation, or non-investigation so far.

It is abysmal that the FBI isn't conducting their standard criminal investigation, to find out if there has been a color of law offense committed here, a civil rights violation committed here. And the fact that we haven't heard anything from the FBI, or about the investigation, is really dismal.

COLLINS: Yes.

Andrew McCabe. Priscilla Alvarez. Van Jones. Shermichael Singleton. Great to have all of you here tonight.

Also, Congresswoman Omar as well.

Thank you for joining us tonight.

"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.