As inflammatory language tends to do, Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric incited a scuffle between his supporters and immigration activists during a rally last night, leading to at least one Trump supporter spitting on a protester.
Trump made his first campaign stop in Virginia and held a rally in Richmond, where he went after “maniac” Bernie Sanders before delving into his usual anti-immigrant tirade.
“I watched last night as Hillary and Bernie Sanders, they just couldn’t give away things fast enough,” Trump said, referring to the Democratic debate and repeating the growing Republican attack that Sanders and Hillary Clinton want to hand out “free stuff” like paid family leave. “And they’re giving them to illegal immigrants. They want heath care for illegal immigrants. They want drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. They want, listen to this, social security for illegal immigrants.”
At this point the protesters began heckling Trump, booing and chanting while he attempted to continue his diatribe.
“That’s alright,” Trump said, according to USA Today, “that’s why we have freedom of speech.”
According to the local CBS affiliate, the group of protestors was small but they were apparently vocal enough to anger some Trump supporters, including one man who repeatedly yelled obscenities at a protestor wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a popular George Lopez diss directed at the Republican frontrunner:
Trump supporter spits & curses at protester as protesters are escorted from @realDonaldTrump event in Richmond, VA pic.twitter.com/1GunaUweNW
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) October 15, 2015
Immigration activists disrupt Trump rally. He gamely continues, but crowd raged. One spit on protestors @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/82T2s845Eu
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) October 14, 2015
Here is a report from CNN’s Sara Murray:
Video shows physical altercation at tonight's @RealDonaldTrump rally in #Virginia. http://t.co/fHzUgRhtbk http://t.co/kr5Bo24MSD
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) October 15, 2015
