Trump surrogates want Americans to believe their eyes and ears are lying to them. I've been documenting the Trump Effect for a while now. A DailyKos reader alerted me to this incident along with the actual police report. It only got coverage in a small Gainesville, Florida news outlet, Gainsville.com.

We must inform America about all of these incidents that have the one common thread, the vile hate cauterized by the Donald Trump campaign, the Trump Effect. Of course, Donald Trump's appointment of a white supremacist does little to assuage his vapid followers and to quell the fear of all 'the others' he spent months vilifying.

The police report describes the entire event. It is sad but given Trump rallies and his proclivity to incite violence; we expected it. VIC is the victim, Pablo J Echevarria. DEF is the defendant, Caleb Joseph Illig.

On the above date and time, the VIC (an employee of the business and of Hispanic heritage) was outside cleaning the parking lot of the Gate Food Post at the above-listed location. The DEF was a passenger in a vehicle that arrived at the location. The DEF exited the vehicle and walked towards the VIC, who had his back turned to the DEF. The DEF struck the VIC in the back of the head with a closed fist and yelled, "Let's Trump down". The VIC turned around and asked the DEF why he hit him, to which the DEF replied, "This is for Donald Trump". The DEF then began to throw punches towards the VIC using closed fists striking the VIC several more times. The VIC did not strike the DEF back, rather taking evasive movements. The DEF stated that the back of his head and his neck were in pain as a result of the strikes. The VIC stated he had no prior interaction with the DEF before he was struck. The WIT, also an employee of the business, saw the altercation and stepped outside to intervene. The WIT stated he saw the DEF strike the VIC. The WIT stated he was calling the police and the DEF along with another subject reentered the vehicle and fled the scene. Video surveillance from the business clearly shows the DEF striking the VIC in the back of the head, and completely corroborates the VIC and WIT's accounts of the incident.

On 11/19/16, contact was made with the owner of the vehicle the DEF fled the scene in. The owner of the vehicle stated that the DEF was responsible for striking the VIC. The DEF was positively identified via RMS, and his photo matched the suspect I viewed on video surveillance. On 11/20/16 at approximately 0040 hours, the VIC positively identified the DEF via photo line-up. On 11/20/16 at approximately 2240 hours, I made contact with the DEF. Post Miranda, the DEF stated that he had no recollection of the incident whatsoever. The DEF stated he is prescribed medication for bipolar disorder had consumed alcohol in conjunction with it, causing him to lose memory. The DEF was positively identified via his FL DL photo, placed under arrest and transported to ASO-DOJ without incident.

It goes without saying that Trump left many of his followers uninhibited. He empowered them, from the white supremacists to the white nationalists, to the neo-Nazis, and to everyone else in between. The little compass in the back of their heads is malfunctioning. One can only hope as they are exposed they look in the mirror and succumb to their better angels. Otherwise, it will be a long four years.

Also published on Medium.