In his first comments since protests interrupted two rallies in Arizona on Saturday, Donald Trump rejected any responsibility: ‘We don’t condone violence’

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

In his first comments since protests and violence interrupted two rallies in Arizona on Saturday, Donald Trump rejected any responsibility, saying the protesters involved were “very disruptive people”.



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The Republican presidential frontrunner singled out one demonstrator who was punched and kicked by a Trump supporter as he was being led out of a rally in Tucson.

Film showed a female protester following behind, wearing what appeared to be Klu Klux Klan-style white hood.

“Well, you know he or his partner was wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit,” Trump said in an interview with ABC’s This Week on Sunday, when asked if he would disavow the attack on the male protester. “These are not really protesters, they’re agitators.”

Of the supporter who punched the protester, he said: “This happened to be an African American man who was very, very incensed that a protester would be wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit.”

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The exchange came three weeks after Trump stoked controversy by refusing to immediately disavow an expression of support from David Duke, a former KKK grand wizard.

Trump denied condoning Saturday’s violence. “That was a tough thing to watch,” he said. “We don’t condone violence. And we have very little violence.”

He repeated: “These are professional agitators. I think that somebody should say that when a road is blocked going into the event.”

Protesters blocked a road in Phoenix earlier on Saturday, before a rally attended by Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County who became famous thanks to his hardline stance on immigration.

Trump also defended campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who at the Tucson rally on Saturday appeared to physically pull a protester by his collar. Police in Florida are investigating a recent incident in which Lewandowski is alleged to have assaulted a reporter.

Trump said Lewandowski had merely been trying to take down signs held by some protesters.

“They had signs up in that area were horrendous,” he said. “I will give him credit for having spirit.”

Violent confrontation at Trump events threatens become a feature of this election season. The candidate has been pressed repeatedly on what could happen at the Republican convention in Cleveland in July, if he is denied the nomination despite having the greatest number of delegates.

On ABC, George Stephanopoulos asked Trump if he would tell his supporters not to riot.

“I would certainly tell them that,” he said. “But look, these people are fervent, they want to see positive things. I don’t want to see riots, I don’t want to see problems, but you have millions of people you’re talking about.”

Senior Republicans continue their efforts to find ways to block Trump. On Sunday Senator Lindsey Graham, a former presidential candidate, told CBS: “Trump is a demagogue of greatest proportions.”

Trump, he said, “would be an absolute, utter disaster for the Republican party, and destroy conservatism as we know it”.

The question of what may happen in Cleveland in the event that Trump does not amass a clear majority of delegates in the primary elections continues to vex party leaders. On Sunday, national committee chairman Reince Priebus said a contested convention would simply be part of the selection process.

“This is the first time in a long time people actually care about delegate count,” he said, on CNN. “When someone’s a little bit short you let the process play out.”

Priebus seemed to rule out a scenario in which a candidate with a low number of delegates, such as the Ohio governor John Kasich, could win out over a candidate with a greater number, even if that candidate was Trump.

“The minority of delegates doesn’t rule for the majority,” Priebus said.

Still, he refused to rule out convention rule changes, pointing to his own election as party chairman.

“I had to fight and fight and fight,” Priebus said “but that’s how it works.”

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Having won only his home state so far, Kasich’s only hope of securing the nomination rests with a contested convention. The governor has been accused of running the risk of splitting remaining delegates with the Texas senator Ted Cruz, thus ensuring that Trump remains the decisive frontrunner.

Kasich said he believed he was still in with a shot.

“This isn’t a parlor game,” he said on NBC. “The convention is an extension of the process of nominating someone. Nobody is going to the convention with enough delegates. I can win in the fall and I have the experience and record to lead this country.”

But even Kasich supporters, including Graham, have doubts.

“John Kasich is the most electable Republican,” Graham said, “but I don’t think he has a chance to win. Kasich is an insider and most of the delegates are looking for an outsider.”

Graham, who previously said a choice between Trump and Cruz was “like being shot or poisoned”, is now backing Cruz.