Trump praises supporter who punched heckler at rally and compares him to Evander Holyfield: ‘That was great’

President Donald Trump publicly cheered a supporter who hit a protester during a Wednesday night rally in Pendleton, South Carolina, an episode that put his response to political violence in the spotlight weeks before the midterms. The event at the T Ed Garrison Arena was meant to energize Republican voters, and former boxing champion Evander Holyfield was among the guest speakers, according to The Independent.

According to The Independent, the incident happened while Trump was speaking about immigration and deportations of career criminals. Cameras showed an older man in a red cap and glasses raising his hands as police moved through his row, removed the person he appeared to have struck, and escorted that person out. Trump then asked who had thrown the punch, told the crowd the protester had been hit, and likened the supporter to Holyfield. He said it took courage to heckle at one of his rallies, and he mocked the protester's looks.

Earlier disruptions drew other jabs. Trump called hecklers "paid protesters," offering no evidence, and joked about their mothers. While introducing Sen. Darline Graham, whose candidacy he came to promote, he griped that the interruptions were timed to ruin his punchlines and called the demonstrators "serious losers."

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →