The Latest: Fight breaks out at Trump rally

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Published September 13, 2016 12:15AM (EDT)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT):

7:30 p.m.

A supporter of Donald Trump's appears to have gotten in a fight with two protesters at his rally Monday night in Asheville, North Carolina.

The violence erupted as several protesters were being escorted out by security. A man in the crowd grabbed a male protester around the neck and then punched him.

The man then slapped at a woman being led out.

The Trump supporter was not ejected by security.

The fight broke out as Trump was defending his supporters against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's comment that half of them belonged in a "basket of deplorables." She later said she regrets describing half of them that way.

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6:38 p.m.

Bill Clinton says his wife is "doing fine" a day after she fell ill at a 9/11 memorial and was revealed to be suffering from pneumonia.

The former president said in an interview with PBS' Charlie Rose that Hillary Clinton felt better by Monday night and got a "good night's sleep."

Clinton said she had gotten "dehydrated" at the ceremony in New York. Hillary Clinton left the event early and appeared to buckle as she was being helped into her motorcade. Her doctors later disclosed that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday.

The former president said if there are more health problems that caused her apparent weakness Monday, "then it's a mystery to me and all of her doctors."

He said that "on more than one occasion" over the years "the same sort of thing's happened to her when she got severely dehydrated."

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6:34 p.m.

Donald Trump has been interrupted several times by protesters at a rally in North Carolina — and one of his supporters punched a demonstrator being escorted out.

The altercation began as several young people were being escorted out by security from the upper deck of the U.S. Cellular Arena in Asheville Monday night.

As they were walking down the steps, a man in the crowd grabbed a male protester around the neck and then punched him. He then slapped at a woman being led out.

The attacker was not ejected by security. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured. Many of those in the rowdy crowd flipped off the protesters.

Dozens of protesters were also assembled outside the arena.

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6:13 p.m.

Donald Trump is vowing to be "a champion inside the White House" for all Americans and not just the ones who will vote him.

Trump spoke at a rally in battlefield North Carolina rally Monday night. He continued to attack Hillary Clinton for her remarks in which she categorized half of the Republican's supporters as belonging in "a basket of deplorables." She later said she regretted saying that "half" of them were in that group.

He said Clinton "calls you deplorable and irredeemable," but Trump calls them "hard-working American patriots who love their country and want a better future for all our people," Trump said.

He claimed Clinton was running a divisive, "hate-filled" campaign and vowed to represent all Americans, "whether you vote for me or someone else."

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6:12 p.m.

Donald Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, says he is meeting privately with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in Washington.

Pence said in a Fox News interview on Monday that he is meeting with Cruz on Tuesday as the Indiana governor makes the rounds on Capitol Hill.

Cruz refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention after a bitter primary campaign against him for the GOP nomination. Pence gave Cruz a lukewarm endorsement before the Indiana primary. Cruz dropped out of the race the night he lost the Indiana primary.

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6:08 p.m.

Mike Pence says Donald Trump's campaign does not want the support of David Duke, but he is stopping short of calling the white nationalist "deplorable."

Pence was asked Monday in a CNN interview whether he would say Duke is deplorable, an adjective used by Democrat Hillary Clinton to describe half of Trump supporters. Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who has endorsed Trump.

Pence says, "I'm not really sure why the media keeps dropping David Duke's name. Donald Trump has denounced David Duke repeatedly. We don't want his support and we don't want the support of people who think that way."

But when asked if Duke is deplorable, Pence says, "I'm not in the name-calling business."

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5:20 p.m.

Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence says Trump will be releasing details about his most recent physical examination "in the days ahead," but would not say if Trump will make his doctors available to discuss his health.

Pence said in a CNN interview Monday that Trump is "anxious to be transparent about his health" and that "the American people have a right to know" about the health of candidates running for president.

Pence says he and Trump are wishing Clinton well, "praying for a swift recover" and " we want to see her back out on the campaign trail."

Clinton canceled a west coast campaign swing on Monday to recover from pneumonia that her campaign says she was diagnosed with on Friday.

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5:16 p.m.

Donald Trump is boasting that his schedule is a "real schedule."

The Republican presidential nominee made the comment in battleground North Carolina Monday. He has frequently criticized Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for what he claims is a light campaign slate and questioned her fitness for office.

Clinton was diagnosed with pneumonia Friday and is taking a few days off after falling ill at a 9/11 memorial Sunday.

Earlier Monday, he told Fox News that he hoped his Democratic opponent would recover quickly.

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5:13 p.m.

An aide to Bill Clinton says the former president will headline his wife's campaign fundraiser in California on Tuesday.

The aide says the former president also will headline previously scheduled campaign events in Nevada on Wednesday.

Hillary Clinton is spending a few days resting at her suburban New York home after being diagnosed with pneumonia and falling ill at a 9/11 ceremony.

She is expected to call into a San Francisco fundraiser on Monday evening and resume a more vigorous campaign schedule within a few days.

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4:03 p.m.

Vice President Joe Biden says Hillary Clinton "should have listened to the doctors" and rested after her pneumonia diagnosis.

Biden said during a stop in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that he's talked to the Clinton campaign about her health and that "this woman has enormous stamina." Biden said he had walking pneumonia last year.

But he said, Clinton and her campaign "should have listened to the doctors, for God's sake."

Clinton struggled Sunday to stay on her feet while she was helped into a van. Her campaign said she had "overheated," but later revealed that she had been diagnosed Friday with pneumonia.

Clinton's doctor, Lisa R. Bardack, released a statement saying Clinton was given antibiotic and "advised to rest and modify her schedule."

Clinton campaign manager Robbie Mook later told CNN that Clinton chose "to just power through" the illness and did not lose consciousness during the episode.

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4:03 p.m.

Tim Kaine says the first time he and Hillary Clinton spoke about her health was on Sunday by email, days after her pneumonia diagnosis on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after addressing a campaign event in Dayton, Ohio, Kaine didn't answer questions about when exactly he learned Clinton was sick.

He said only that he knew since early last week that Clinton was coughing and not feeling well. But he wouldn't discuss specific communication with his running mate beyond the Sunday emails.

Kaine said he and Clinton don't speak every day but have frequent contact and usually don't go longer than two days without communicating.

He said he didn't think Clinton's health problems shined a brighter spotlight on his possible ability to be president in her place.

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4 p.m.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest is drawing comparisons between Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the controversial president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte's vulgar words about President Barack Obama made headlines last week. Now Duterte says he wants U.S. forces out of his country's south.

Commenting on this, Earnest said at the White House briefing that elections say a lot about what kind of person is "going to represent your country on the international stage."

Earnest says voters take pride in qualities like decorum, temperament and judgment because that person can end up representing them on the international stage.

When asked if he were trying to draw a cautionary tale for the American people, Earnest says "I guess some people could draw that analogy."

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3:13 p.m.

Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is finding out that praising Tim Kaine's qualifications for president can sound a little awkward as Hillary Clinton recovers from pneumonia.

Strickland on Monday said Kaine is "a wonderful and prepared person to be the president" in Hillary Clinton's place if it became necessary. Kaine is Clinton's vice presidential running mate.

Strickland is running for Senate in Ohio. He made the comments Monday at high school in Dayton, Ohio, while delivering prepared remarks before Kaine himself took the stage. He wasn't specifically referring to Clinton's current state of health.

Clinton fell ill during a 9/11 memorial event Sunday and was videotaped struggling to get into a van. Her campaign later said she's been diagnosed with pneumonia. She is skipping a planned fund raising trip to California.

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2:45 p.m.

Tim Kaine says Hillary Clinton's "energy staggers" him.

Kaine discussed the Democratic presidential candidate's health Monday at an Ohio Democratic Party event in Dayton a day after Clinton stumbled while getting into a van and later disclosed that she is suffering from pneumonia. She fell ill at a 9/11 memorial event Sunday and is skipping her planned trip to California this week.

Kaine said he contacted Clinton to check on her health over the weekend and she immediately responded, "I'm going to be fine."

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2:30 p.m.

The White House says President Barack Obama remains confident that Hillary Clinton has the strength to carry out the demands of the presidency despite her recent pneumonia diagnosis.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Monday declined to say what kind of medical records the candidates should release. But he noted that Obama periodically releases statements from his doctor on his health, and did so as a candidate in 2008.

Earnest said it's "entirely legitimate" for Americans to expect to have information on the health of their presidents. And he said nothing about Clinton's health status has affected Obama's belief that she is the best person in the country to succeed him.

He noted that Clinton traveled extensively as secretary of state and worked long hours.

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2:05 p.m.

Donald Trump is making a lunchtime stop at a Baltimore-area diner.

Trump visited the Boulevard Diner Monday afternoon after giving a speech to the National Guard Association's annual conference.

His arrival was greeted by cheers and chants of "Trump!" and the Republican presidential nominee made a lap of the eatery shaking hands and posing for selfies.

One woman behind the counter screamed "Oh my God, he's so handsome" after spotting the celebrity businessman.

Trump also signed several autographs, including some patrons' shirts.

"You've got a strong chest," Trump exclaimed as he signed one man's polo shirt.

Reporters were escorted from the diner before Trump sat down to eat.

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1:20 p.m.

The No. 3 Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, is disclosing that he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

The diagnosis happened several weeks ago. The disclosure Monday comes amid furor over Hillary Clinton's own pneumonia diagnosis.

In response to questions from The Associated Press, Schumer spokesman Matt House says in a statement that Schumer was diagnosed with pneumonia and took antibiotics per doctor's order, and also kept a lighter schedule. House says that "His doctor has pronounced him all cleared up and he's feeling much better."

Schumer was present at Sunday's Sept. 11 memorial where Clinton collapsed. Her staff later disclosed the pneumonia diagnosis.

Schumer, 65, put out a statement about chatting with Clinton at the event, but did not disclose his own condition.

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1:11 p.m.

Donald Trump is criticizing Hillary Clinton for suggesting that half of his supporters belonged in "a basket of deplorables."

Trump, speaking Monday in Baltimore, said he was "deeply shocked and alarmed to hear my opponent attack, slander, smear and demean" his supporters.

The Republican nominee was speaking at the annual National Guard Association convention and suggested that Clinton was attacking those in uniform, whether in the military or law enforcement.

He says of Clinton, "She called them every vile name in the book."

Clinton has said she regrets using the term, "half," to describe the proportion of Trump supporters she considers "deplorables." But she didn't back down from describing his campaign as largely built on prejudice and paranoia.


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