'Man, I loved that': Trump cheers man after Trump rally protester punched in South Carolina
Donald Trump praised a rally attender who appeared to punch a Trump rally protester punched out of his event at Clemson University in South Carolina on Wednesday, saying: 'Man, I loved that.'
'Man, I loved that': Trump cheers man after Trump rally protester punched in South Carolina
Praise from the stage
Donald Trump appeared delighted when a protester was punched while being thrown out of his Clemson University rally, according to a pool report. Watching the moment, he called it "incredible" and "unbelievable" before asking whether everybody was OK.
"That was great, man. Wow. Man, I loved that. I watched that."
The president then asked who had thrown the punch and compared the man to Evander Holyfield, the former heavyweight champion, who was at the rally. Trump said the man deserved credit, remarking that it takes courage to do that at a Trump rally, and said of the protester: "He got whacked."
Repeated interruptions
The event was disrupted repeatedly. Trump was interrupted at least nine times by hecklers during the South Carolina rally, the pool report said.
- Multiple protesters were removed by security guards, while the crowd chanted "USA" as each was escorted out of the arena.
- One protester being removed was followed by a rally attendee who appeared to slap the demonstrator on the head.
- Another protester was apparently punched by a rally attender, the moment that drew Trump's on-stage praise.
Why Trump was in South Carolina
The president traveled to Clemson to campaign for Darline Graham, the sister of the late senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly in July from a heart condition. Darline Graham won her brother's Senate seat in a special election and is facing Democratic challenger Annie Andrews as she seeks a full six-year term.
Protests on the campaign trail
Demonstrations have broken out frequently at Trump rallies in recent weeks as he ramps up stops ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, though he often brushes off such scenes by describing the participants as "paid protesters". His 32-day campaign blitz has largely taken him to Republican-leaning areas he won comfortably in previous elections, as Republicans work to retain control of the US Senate and the House of Representatives.
