CNN's Jim Acosta said President Trump is planting "seeds of violence" in his supporters after the president held a rally Thursday night in Montana. Acosta said Trump's numerous references to Rep. Greg Gianforte, who assaulted a reporter last year in Montana when he was running for Congress in a special election, inspired a supporter in the crowd to do "pro wrestling moves" and gestures.



Acosta wondered if there is a "cause and effect" with Trump supporters, whether Trump's rhetoric will make them prone to violence.



"The crowd was obviously eating this stuff up, and people wonder whether or not there's a cause and effect, whether or not the president's rhetoric plants seeds of violence in his own supporters, in his own crowds," Acosta wondered.













JIM ACOSTA, CNN REPORTER: Don, also we should point out time and again the president was going after Democrats accusing them of being part of a mob, of being part of an angry mob.



I have to tell you, Don, when the president made that joke about Greg Gianforte assaulting Ben Jacobs, I looked over to the crowd. There was one gentleman, a Trump supporter in the crowd, who was doing pro wrestling moves, doing body slam type gestures in the crowd. So the crowd was obviously eating this stuff up, and people wonder whether or not there's a cause and effect, whether or not the president's rhetoric plants seeds of violence in his own supporters, in his own crowds.



I think it was pretty evident there that the crowd was loving every minute of this when the president was talking about assaulting, joking about assaulting reporters at this rally tonight.



DON LEMON, CNN HOST: An embarrassing performance tonight by the president with those jokes and people cheering him on.