Trump considers paying legal bills for man charged at rally
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the I-X Center Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Cleveland.
ATLANTA >> Republican presidential primary leader Donald Trump says he will consider paying the legal fees of a North Carolina man captured on video sucker-punching a protester at one of the billionaire’s signature mass rallies.
“I don’t accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape,” Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
But when asked whether he’d financially back the supporter, who was arrested and charged with assault, Trump says he’s “instructed my people to look into it, yes.”
Trump, meanwhile, rejected calls to modify his campaign rhetoric amid increasing instances of violence at his events. Instead he blamed Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for sending supporters to disrupt Trump events and noted that many of the protesters who clashed with Trump supporters in Chicago on Friday night carried Sanders signs.
Sanders on Sunday vehemently denied Trump’s accusations.
“To suggest that our campaign is telling people to disrupt his campaign is a lie,” Sanders said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Trump said his rallies are “peaceful,” and accused news reports of exaggerating the violence. He demurred on multiple Sunday talk shows when reminded of his litany of incendiary statements: he’d “punch” a protester “in the face,” ”we need a little bit more of” hitting back and encouraging the crowd to “knock the crap out of” protesters.
On several Sunday talk shows Trump said in one instance, he was simply defending himself against the possibility of being hit by a tomato, which he insisted could do “real damage” if hurled by someone “with a strong arm.” There have been no reports of a tomato being hurled at any Trump event or of one hitting the candidate.
Trump has rallies scheduled Sunday in Illinois, Florida and Ohio ahead of Tuesday primaries that likely offer GOP rivals their last shot to derail Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates required for the Republican nomination.
The GOP leader’s rivals — in both major parties — are more vocal in their criticism of Trump’s rhetoric, calling it dangerous and divisive, from calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “criminals” to his repeated cracks about “punching” protesters and taking them “out on a stretcher.”
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a distant third in the GOP delegate count, compared Trump to third-world “strong men,” and said the tone of the campaign “is really going to do damage to America.”
Rubio said on CNN that Trump is arguing to voters: “Don’t put your faith in yourselves. Don’t put your faith in society. Put your faith in me.”
On the Democratic side, Sanders said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he has “millions of supporters,” some of whom “will do what they do.” Sanders said on CNN that Trump “is a man who keeps implying violence, and then you end up getting what you see.”
On the possibility of paying legal fees for his North Carolina supporter, Trump says he wants “to see the full tape” before deciding whether to back John Franklin McGraw. Trump suggested McGraw, who is white, punched Rakeem Jones, who is black, after Jones held up his middle finger to the crowd.
McGraw “got carried away,” Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” but “frankly wants to see America made great again.”
Video of the immediate moments before McGraw threw the punch does not show the “taunting” from Jones that Trump describes.
Jones has told The Associated Press that he and others went to the event as observers, not protesters. He says someone swore at one in their group, and by the time they tried to object, the police were escorting him out.
Trump appeared intent Saturday not to draw criticism for instigating any problems.
At a morning rally in Ohio, he was suddenly pulled midspeech into a protective ring of U.S. Secret Service agents after a man rushed the stage.
“Thank you for the warning,” Trump told the crowd after he resumed his speech. “I was ready for ‘em, but it’s much better if the cops do it, don’t we agree?”
57 responses to “Trump considers paying legal bills for man charged at rally”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This is the guy that you want to lead us? Really? With the only choices we have this election, I cannot imagine how we are going to survive the next 4 years. Then again, we survived 16 with Georgie boy and Barack (but just barely).
The black guy who was punched for good reason: He showed the finger. I dare you show the finger to a group of Hawaiians and not be whacked in the mouth or worse.
Violence always solves every minor problem. It figures that you would be a Trump supporter.
Talk is cheap. It’s a cruel world. Americans are awake thanks to Mr Trump and he is doing just fine. Violence includes personal attacks such as yours. It is just not working. I did Google it; Violence..strength of emotion or an unpleasant or destructive natural force.
Yah, talk is cheap; assault costs money. Your man should just direct-hire his goons.
The ranting about the “riots and head banging at the Chicago Trump rally” were orchestrated by Moveon.org, a George Soros group. Rubio, Cruz and Kasich had the nerve to call out Trump for the fights. You have to wonder if a phone call was made by the DEMS. to ask for help. There were very few problems, other than a couple of protesters at the other rallies. Only when he got to Chicago did things change.
Mr. Trump is a disgrace to the United States. The fact that anyone would consider voting for him is amazing.
I would agree that the Donald is a potential disgrace to the US. But I find it amazing anyone would vote for any other republican candidate over the Donald. While the Donald may be crass at times, the fact remains that he is the only republican who has called for increased taxes, (Hedge fund managers), called GW an idi*t, and has argued against military intervention. Really not bad for a republican.
For a Republican … I suppose you’re right. But at least John Kasich is not fomenting actual violence at his rallies. Trump is a disgrace to the party and the country. There’s nothing “potential” about it.
Nobody goes to Kasich rallies and now he’s having to finally answer some tough questions. “Make America Great Again” TRUMP2016
I think Rumsfeld’s statement about war (“You go to war with the army you have, not with one you wish you had”) applies here as well. If you want to fight the establishment/elites you have to do it with the candidate you have, not with one you wish you had. I wish Trump were better, more ethical, more experienced, but he is what he is. So, you have to decide: do you want to embrace the establishment and continue with the status quo or do you fight them? I have made my choice.
OK, Klastri, I will admit the number of students who signed the petition may have been wrong. Stories in the media say more than 50 signed the petition in less than an hour, but they do not say exactly how many signed the petition. It could have been hundreds. However, it does not matter if it was 50 or 500 hundred; the fact remains that a bunch of well-educated Yale students signed a petition to repeal the First Amendment.
The disgrace to the United States are the leftist fascists who have taken over our college campus and who were urged to disrupt the Trump rally by their leftist professors and Moveon.org. College campuses have been transformed from places of learning to prepare for careers in the real world to places where leftist professors, as most are, indoctrinate leftism and inculcate an intolerant world view that insists on silencing anyone with an opposing view. College campuses have become fascist safe havens for the left. Anyone who disagrees must be shut down, threatened, intimidated or even hurt; the means do not matter. It is the new norm in America.
This is the rant often heard from the poorly educated. Republicans have turned against education and scholarship to keep their followers from knowing anything. It’s really sad.
What do you think of 17-year olds voting in Ohio, some of whom may not yet be out of high school? While I’m at it, what is your stance on the voter ID issue?
Just curious.
calentura – There is no in-person voter fraud problem in the United States. There is an absentee ballot problem in some locations, but not in-person. It was invented by Republicans to prevent people who traditionally vote Democratic to be able to vote. The issue has been fabricated in the entirety, and that has been admitted by election officials on witness stands when this issue is heard at trial. No one, in any state, has been able to identify actual in-person voter fraud. In Ohio, the state law permits 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election to vote in presidential primaries, and the state Supreme Court previously upheld that law when it was earlier challenged. The Ohio Secretary of State, in what appears to be an illegal act (nothing new for him) changed the voter handbook and rules to prohibit 17 years olds from voting in the primary. The trial court overturned that act by the Ohio Secretary of State. The OSoS claims that he will appeal but the state Supreme Court will probably not hear the case.
Klastri, I knew you would respond quickly to defend radical nut jobs who are destroying America. You apparently support mob rule. Why is it that only prominent conservatives are prevented by supposedly educated students and professors from speaking at college campuses? Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, columnist Ann Coulter, radio talk show host Ben Shapiro, former NY City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and anti-affirmative action activist Jennifer Gratz are some examples. Can you name one liberal who has been prevented from speaking on a college campus?
Ronin006 – The more educated someone is, the more likely they are to be a Democrat and the more likely they are to reject discrimination against same sex marriage, brown people, Muslims, etc. That’s just the fact. People who are small, poorly educated and bitter are able to find the boogeyman in brown people and Muslims. They are welcome to marinate in their ignorance worshiping Mr. Trump.
You say that the more educated people are, the more likely they are to be Democrats. Really? Late last year hundreds of students at Yale University, one of America’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning and a bastion of liberalism, in an unbelievable display of stupidity, signed a petition calling for the outright repeal of the First Amendment of the Constitution. You claim to be a lawyer, so you should know the First Amendment protects free speech. Your well-educated liberals at Yale signed a petition to repeal free speech. How do you explain that?
Ronin006 – If you are going to lie about things, it’s hard to debate. 55 people altogether signed a petition walked around by someone on an open campus (have you actually been to Yale?) and no one knows whether they were students or not. Keep trying!
You are in denial mode Klastri. More than 50 students signed the petition in less than one hour. That is about one student per minute. Yes, I have been to Yale and yes, no one knows if everyone who signed the petition was a student, but the rule of common sense to which you apparently do not subscribe says most or all were.
You wrote “hundreds of students” so you are a liar. Nothing else matters.
For quite some time the citizens have been played like marionettes. Those in control have only allowed those candidates that will carry their (elites) water buckets to be the choices citizens have. Seeing what we are experiencing in this election cycle, it has become very obvious to many of the voters. Once again they are seeing and experiencing the outright attempts to rig the race. They are realizing that every candidate is beholding, with the exception of Trump (at least for now).
Leftist bullies , the presence of 12 to 20 million illegals and the “minority’ crime rates are the real disgrace to our country.
There are a lot of “Amazing” people who will vote for Donald Trump….You’d be surprised!This is why the Democrats and Republicans are so afraid!
You know klastri, what Amazes me is that no one is condemning the Bernie ,Hillary Camp, Moveon.org, Blacklives matter for inciting all the Violent protest at Donald Trump’s rallies…BTW Did you see any Republican protest at Bernie and Hillary’s Rallies?I think NOT!
Yeah! so much for peace and harmony and this Baloney Political Correctness!!! The Democrats are the biggest hypocrites when they don’t have their way.When? I say again “when”….are you going to see the light?.
Yep! Simply….Amazing!
It’s wonderful that you can see the real truth. Simply wonderful!
Hillary is a worse disgrace. I do not see how anybody who hates gridlock traffic, loves the outdoors, fishing hunting surfing, the beach – would want us to be overcrowded by tens of Millions more immigrants. That is what she stands for.
hiliar’s commitment to be the first female felon elected to president is matched only by her commitment to continuing obama’s culture of corruption and his divisive race and class war.
as predicted hiliar’s democrat brown shirts are starting to disrupt republican campaign events intimidating and threatening republican attendees.
Mr. Trump is receiving robocalls now from American Nazis and other white supremacy groups. But you (naturally) conjure up your fantasy of “democrat brown shirts.” Yep …. that makes about as much sense as anything else you write here!
Bernie is receiving robocalls now from American Nazis and other white supremacy groups. Hillary made them do it. Spread the word. FBI back in the news.
We really don’t know how much is this just made up stuff, but it sure got our attention. I’m for Donald Trump. This is what captures readers attention, drama and violence, is what YOU want, the manipulation of the mind, just like manipulation of the law. Just like those responsible for Fukushima Daiichi are mass murderers, yet they still have yet to be charged. Just like the people who are covering this major disaster up. Manipulation of your mind, and media controlled. Trump, is the best thing, strong arm, business man, who ain’t messing around, and takes his business seriously.
Yes, of course. So many people are wrong, but you (only you?) know the real truth. Right. Exactly.
He’s just mad because he didn’t qualify for a rental unit.
If I’m at a Trump rally and see some protesters I don’t have to worry about bail money Trump will take care of it. It’s almost like hiring a hit man.
Kaaihue4Mayor, agree with your post that “Trump, is the best thing, strong arm, business man, who ain’t messing around, and takes his business seriously.” Yet, you contradict yourself by having Trump, similar to those responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi, committed mass murder. So, you are saying that Trump, whom you support for President, will be charged later as will be Hillary Clinton.
I’ve always been kind of curious about Mr. Trump. Does he really think that the weird comb-over he affects looks good? To me, it kind of resembles a sort of sleeping mammal crouched on his head. Oh well, as my grandmother used to say “Close your mouth so the flies don’t go in.”
Support Drumpf if you want to “Make America Hate again!”
Caroley, sorry, but Pres. Obama made America hate and Trump is expanding on it. Both Obama and Trump are turning Americans against Americans.
Of course Drumpf the Instigator should pay for Quick Draw McGraw’s legal expenses. This falls under the legal principle of “He who calls the tune must pay the piper”.
Actually, it’d be much more appropriate for Herr Drumpf to also serve Cowboy False-Crack’s time.
One good deed deserves another.
Trump: “Make America great for white people again!”
And if Trump’s afraid of a protestor throwing a tomato at him (really, Donald, afraid of being injured by a tomatoe?), he’d better not go to New Zealand. He’s liable to be hit in the face with a rubber dildo (its true look it up). I hear those can do a lot of damage.
I agree that the choice between Clinton and Trump will be a choice of two evils, but Trump is scary and unqualified, Clinton is competent but icky. With all the challenges facing the world, our next president needs to be competent. This is not the time for a popularity contest.
Nothing more then WWF action coming from Trumps bravado. Trump followers no more then born again wrestling fanatics . I don’t see trump as the main card more like that well dressed rich manager that rouse up the crowds with spit and bs.
True. You don’t see many intellectuals going to wrestling matches, only the six pack trailer folks.
So called brain dead intellectuals got us into this mess.Time for the people to speak and they are doing just that. NASCAR is doing great.
Sure. Why does society need smart people? Imbeciles and the poorly educated can make everything run perfectly!
I agree. You answered your own question but a few educated folks like Mr Trump are needed to run the show.
Suggest spending a minute or two actually looking up some of the words you’re using. You’ll probably still use them.
First he said he would, and now he says he might pay the felon’s legal fees. Trump is a LIAR! Hope that makes all you folks who voted for him feel real comfortable.
Look forward to seeing John Franklin McGraw on GMA and on the tonite shows. Curmudgeon, drunk, redneck, prejudiced, unemployed, limited vocabulary, welfare bum, hippie cowboy, bad teeth and halitosis, personality disorders, GED degree, unable to read or write and can’t add or subtract. Can tell a lot by one’s appearance and actions.
I’m wondering how in the world will the GOP survive a brokered convention? Trump brings many Reagan democrats, independents, and first time voters to the Republican Party. Lose those voters to the left…and the Dems win the general. GOP base will be divided. Just my opinion.
The GOP establishment is fighting an up hill battle going against their own people. Trump has to win or they lose. Hard to believe all the sheep favoring Hillary with her many faults. Lies,lies lies.
Hillary’s popularity is no mystery. Among many Democrats, Hillary is owed the nomination she let slip away back in 2008. A segment of her party quietly grates that a black man, and not a woman, won the White House in ’08. Too, her appeal owes a lot to furthering Obama’s legacy: she would, by her own words regarding policy, effectively amount to Obama’s third (and maybe fourth) term. It’s a certainty anyone on her short list for a new member of the Supreme Court would dramatically skew the court to the left for many years to come. If you’re a committed Democrat, Hillary is simply the best bet for capturing the White House in 2016, as a candidate both black and female (and maybe Jewish, too) isn’t in the offing this time.
That is quite a scholarly analysis you’ve cooked up there. You sure have an active imagination!
Klastri, maybe I do. Among other things, I believe the U.S. effectively elected its first black president way back in 1993 when William Jefferson Clinton took office. Should Hillary prevail, it’s anyone’s guess what kind of First Gentleman he’ll turn out to be.
Andrew1, the GOP will have over a year in a Primary process and all the supporters of the GOP Presidential candidates will continue to maintain the support. I remain with Ted Cruz. Reagan Democrats and Independents joining the GOP candidates will stay with the GOP, no matter who wins the Primary, even in a Brokered Convention. Many of the Reagan Democrats and Independents looked to the GOP because of current Pres. Obama, Hillary, and Bernie. They decided to move in a different direction, towards the GOP. Staying the course of Pres. Obama is a loser for the Democrats and they are in a panic. Track the turnout from each Party.
As far as i’m concern Trump is a guy with a lot of money and a big mouth. All the rhetoric he is spreading out there is no wonder why there are people protesting at his rallies. Now he is blaming Sanders
for the protest. He can say whatever he wants ( Its his right) but he should tone it down after all his running to be the President of the US.
It’s uncertain Trump will abandon what till now has been a remarkably successful campaign strategy. Up to a point, he probably believes in the adage “any publicity is good publicity.”