Story highlights Donald Trump said he "should get credit, not be scorned" for the tone of his events

He blamed Bernie Sanders for protests that have turned violent at his campaign events

(CNN) Donald Trump is pinning the blame for escalating violence and protests at his campaign events on Bernie Sanders.

The Republican presidential front-runner said in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" Sunday that he "should get credit, not be scorned" for his handling of the tension at his events.

"You had professional disruptors, thousands of them, from Sanders and to a smaller extent, Hillary (Clinton)," he said of a Friday night event in Chicago that Trump canceled after chaos broke out there.

Trump was deflecting blame after a weekend of eruptions on the campaign trail. On Friday, his campaign canceled his appearance at an event in Chicago amid security concerns. On Saturday, a man rushed the stage during one of his speeches, and Trump closed out the day by calling for the arrest of protesters at his events.

Trump said of conservatives: "We are treated so unfairly, and I'm treated very unfairly."

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