A Donald Trump rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, took a dramatic turn on Friday when a supporter of the former president breached the press area during Trump’s speech, leading to a security intervention.
The incident was captured on video, showing a bearded man in sunglasses jumping over a barrier and climbing onto a riser where reporters and camera crews were stationed. Security personnel quickly intervened, and the man was subdued by law enforcement with a stun gun as Trump reassured the crowd, saying, “That’s ok. Beautiful, beautiful. He’s on our side, it’s ok.”
The man was briefly taken into custody but was later released, according to reports from The Associated Press (AP) citing Johnstown Police. The rally saw a second individual being handcuffed and removed by police shortly after, though it’s unclear if this was connected to the initial disruption.
This rally occurred 75 miles from Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was previously targeted during a July 13 event, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.
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At the time of Friday’s incident, Trump was railing against the media, criticizing what he deemed as negative coverage of his campaign and the election. He particularly attacked CNN’s interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, who had defended her unchanged “values” despite some policy reversals on immigration and fracking.
Trump has consistently targeted the media throughout his political career, calling them “enemies of the people” during his 2016 campaign. At the rally, he dismissed media coverage as “fake news” and lashed out at Harris, claiming she is “anti-everything that’s Pennsylvania” and unfit for office.
🚨🇺🇸 MAN SUBDUED AT TRUMP RALLY AFTER STORMING PRESS AREA
During a Trump rally in Johnstown, PA, a man stormed the press area but was quickly subdued by police with a Taser. The incident followed Trump’s criticism of major media outlets.
Source: AP
— World Media News (@WMEDIAPR) August 31, 2024
In his speech, Trump expressed confidence about winning Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state, in the upcoming election. “Sixty-seven days from now, we’re going to win Pennsylvania,” he declared. “We’re going to defeat Comrade Kamala Harris and win back the White House.”
“That’s okay.” Man tries to violently attack the press at Trump rally in Pennsylvania. Trump, who often denigrates the press and promotes violence, defends him, says “that’s beautiful” and “he’s on our side”. pic.twitter.com/brDNXXROY5
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 31, 2024
Outside the Summit Arena, thousands of Trump supporters clashed with protesters voicing concerns about his record on issues such as abortion, unions, and job creation. Critics pointed to job losses during his administration, which saw the unemployment rate rise to 6.4 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Protesters expressed a range of grievances, from opposition to Trump’s handling of abortion laws to support for Kamala Harris. Trump has argued that abortion laws should be decided at the state level.
Current polling shows Harris leading Trump in Pennsylvania by a slim margin, with FiveThirtyEight’s tracker indicating a 1.4-point lead and RealClearPolitics showing a 0.3-point advantage.
Pennsylvania has leaned Democratic in seven of the last eight presidential elections, with Trump being the only Republican to win the state in 2016 by a narrow 0.7 percent margin.
