Mary Trump Accuses Donald Trump of 'Celebrating the Violence' After Rally Punch

Mary Trump, the president's niece and a frequent critic, accused Donald Trump of "celebrating the violence" after he praised a supporter who punched a protester at one of his rallies this month. She said the protester had been "exercising her free speech."

She made the remarks on the latest episode of The Mary Trump Podcast. Two protesters have been assaulted at Trump rallies in October. Early in the episode she said Trump celebrated a protester getting punched at the South Carolina rally, but she later placed the same remarks in Youngstown, Ohio. The words she read out, in which the president called the punch courageous and compared the man who threw it to a boxing champion, were about the second incident.

What Mary Trump Said About the Rally Punch

Mary Trump placed the remarks in Youngstown, Ohio, where she said a protester shouting "release the Epstein files" was "punched in the face by one of the thugs in the audience."

She then read Donald Trump's words aloud: "Wow, man. I love that. I watched that man." He described the man who threw the punch as "a very unattractive looking guy actually" and told him, "you reminded me of Evander 'The Real Deal' Holyfield." Holyfield is a former heavyweight boxing champion.

"It takes courage to do that at a Trump rally," the president said. "He got whacked."

His niece said it showed "a woman actually exercising her first amendment right to free speech got assaulted for exercising her free speech," with the president "absolutely celebrating the violence." She called political violence "the refuge of the desperate," and said "desperation is also why Donald finds himself campaigning in solidly red districts."

The president's words are on tape. That he was celebrating violence is her reading of them. He praised this punch and the man who threw it, but he did not endorse violence more broadly.

What the Record Shows About the Two Incidents

The Holyfield remarks came at Donald Trump's rally at a livestock arena in Pendleton, South Carolina. That is the same rally Mary Trump quoted earlier in the episode for his attacks on transgender care. The Anderson County Sheriff's Office filed an incident report saying an unknown suspect put a male protester "in a headlock" and punched him "in the head, neck and chest," leaving minor injuries. HuffPost reported that the office listed it as a simple assault under investigation.

The Epstein-files protest happened earlier in the month, on October 12, at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown. A woman wearing a "Release the Epstein Files" shirt was pushed to the ground, and a man held her hair and punched her in the face. Officers escorted her out, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. Fox News reported that the man who hit her stayed in the arena and traded high-fives with other attendees. From the stage, Donald Trump called her "scum," said without evidence that she was paid, and told her to "go on a diet."

Donald Trump's History With Rally Protesters

The president has been here before. In February 2016, at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he told supporters to "knock the crap out of" anyone about to throw a tomato and promised to pay their legal fees. At a Nevada rally, he said of a protester being removed, "I'd like to punch him in the face," PBS Frontline reported.

The Epstein Files and the Midterms

The Youngstown protester's demand is a popular one. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 13–16 found that 75 percent of adults believe the federal government is hiding information about Jeffrey Epstein's alleged clients. Sixty-nine percent said the files show powerful people are rarely held accountable, including 58 percent of Republicans. Just 21 percent said it is time for the country to move on.

The issue has also split voices on the right in the run-up to Tuesday's election.

Mary Trump closed by pointing to the president's sinking numbers. He stands at 37.6 percent approval and 59.5 percent disapproval in PolitiKool's polling average.

The Anderson County investigation is still open. Whether anyone is charged over either punch, and whether the president addresses the incidents again from the stage, remains unanswered.