Authorities removed several hecklers from President Donald Trump’s event in Texas late Wednesday evening, an incident that saw the president mock the individuals as they were escorted out of the venue.
According to CBS News, at least 10 people were either forcibly ejected or chose to leave after disrupting the rally at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. The crowd responded with jeers as Trump ridiculed the interruptions. This gathering marked the president’s third recent trip to Texas, aimed at bolstering Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who is engaged in a more competitive race than anticipated against Democratic challenger James Talarico.
The disturbances began less than 10 minutes into Trump’s address when an individual was seen running away from the stage while shouting. Tensions escalated when a man wearing a red hat appeared to pull the protester’s hair, leading to a physical altercation that other attendees had to break up. Once the individual exited the arena, Trump quipped to the audience, asking if any rally compared to a Trump rally and suggesting the protester was “going back home to mom”—adding, ironically, that the person’s mother had voted for him.
Throughout the following hour, law enforcement and security personnel continued to walk out multiple attendees while the audience booed. In some instances, supporters and demonstrators physically clashed before being separated. At least one individual was handcuffed by police before being led out.
Trump did not let the disruptions go unacknowledged, teasing those who were removed. He made comments about one person needing to “lose a lot of weight” and disparaged others, describing them as “really bad-looking people.”
CBS News has contacted local law enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service to request additional details regarding the ejections and the security response at the event.
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The hair-pulling incident sounds chaotic. Hope no one got seriously hurt in that scuffle.
Is anyone else concerned about how fast these people were removed? Feels a bit heavy-handed.
At least the crowd stayed loyal. Those hecklers really ruined the vibe for everyone else there.
Calling people names isn’t leadership. Really disappointing to see the President stoop so low.
Honestly, I expected a stronger security presence at such a high-profile event. Ten protesters? That seems like a lot.