Trump Supporter Taken Out In Handcuffs After Allegedly Attacking Elizabeth Warren Supporter At Campaign Event
A Trump supporter was reportedly taken out of an Elizabeth Warren rally in handcuffs after allegedly striking one of Warren’s supporters with a selfie stick.
The alleged attack happened in Iowa this weekend at one of the first official stops of Warren’s 2020 campaign, which started in earnest this week after Warren announced that she had formed an exploratory committee to look at a run. As IRJ reported, the Trump supporter reportedly struck an attendee with a selfie stick and was handcuffed by police officers.
The man was later identified as Joe Thorn, a Minnesota native. It was not clear if he had traveled to Iowa specifically for the Warren rally.
The aftermath of the alleged attack was captured by NBC News reporter Alex Seitz-Wald, showing the alleged attacker claiming that he acted in self-defense after the Warren supporter attacked first.
“You hit him with a stick,” a rallygoer said, to which the Trump supporter replied, “Yeah, I did because he hit me first.”
Another witness then stepped in, saying that he had the original attack caught on video.
“No, he didn’t. I have it on video,” the other witness said.
The video prompted flashbacks to Donald Trump’s contentious rallies during the 2016 campaign, which were marked with sporadic violence as Trump supporters attacked protesters, often at the request of Trump himself. In one of the controversial incidents of the campaign, Trump encouraged his supporters to strike back, praised violence against them, and even offered to pay for bail if any of his supporters were arrested for the attacks. This led to several members being arrested and facing charges for the attacks.
A pro-Trump protester who was arrested outside Elizabeth Warren's event in Storm Lake, IA today was charged with Disorderly Conduct, a simple misdemeanor, and taken to the county jail, where he was held on a $300 bond, per the Storm Lake PD.
No injuries were reported.
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) January 5, 2019
The tension between Donald Trump and Elizabeth Warren has already begun, with Trump attacking Warren for her Native American heritage just after she declared the exploratory committee. Trump shared a meme on Twitter making fun of Warren’s distant Native American lineage, a line of attack he continued from the 2016 campaign. Trump referred to her as “Pocahontas,” claiming that Warren had lied about her heritage in order to further her career. Last year, Warren released the results of a DNA test that showed she did have a Native American ancestor, but Trump has continued his attacks against her.
Trump tweets meme mocking Warren after she announces 2020 bid https://t.co/IrABQiJOlz pic.twitter.com/Qom0MZbbOT
— The Hill (@thehill) January 3, 2019
Alex Seitz-Wald reported that the Trump supporter yelled “Trump 2020” after being taken out of the rally in handcuffs. The supporter was taken to jail and held on $300 bail, Seitz-Wald added.
