Secret Service agents jumped on stage toward the end of Donald Trump’s rally in an airport hanger in Dayton, Ohio Saturday morning, surrounding the candidate as some kind of perceived threat from the crowd was addressed.
(UPDATE: Reports say a man charged the stage and grabbed, or tried to grab Trump’s leg.)
https://twitter.com/JRBerryWLTX/status/708703896965926912
WHIO: “We’re hearing reports that a protester grabbed Trump’s leg. Witnesses tell our reporters on the scene that as many as three people may have been involved in the incident.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNelSuoHzlI&feature=youtu.be
https://twitter.com/starknightz/status/708696716946575360
At Dayton rally, Secret Service agents jumped on stage and protectively surrounded Donald Trump. Then quickly cleared. NEVER seen that.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) March 12, 2016
“At Dayton rally, Secret Service agents jumped on stage and protectively surrounded Donald Trump. Then quickly cleared. NEVER seen that.”
Secret Service rushes to protect Trump.
Irresponsible rhetoric by #TedCruz & the media are churning up violence! pic.twitter.com/OfZ6zqvVTk— Linda Suhler, PhD (@LindaSuhler) March 12, 2016
Right after alarmed cries came from the crowd, a startled Trump turned to his right and looked behind himself at the crowd while also starting to duck as Secret Service agents jumped on stage to surround him.
The threat was quickly neutralized and the agents then left Trump alone on the stage. After waiting for about a minute for the situation to return to normal, Trump resumed speaking. He thanked his supporters for warning him.
“Thank you for the warning. I was ready for him but it’s much easier if the cops do it, don’t we agree, huh?
What a great job. What a great job.
And to think I had such an easy life. What do I need this for, right? What do I do…You know why I need it? Becaue I’ve done great. I love this country. We’re gonna make our country great again. I owe. It’s payback time. It’s payback time.”
Trump then turned to the crowd of supporters behind him to his right and gave them a thumbs up thanks for alerting him to the threatening man in their midst.
Trump finished his speech and then mingled with the crowd as usual.
The rally in Dayton was the first for Trump after leftist protesters forced the cancellation of a rally Friday night in Chicago.
UPDATE: New video shows protester rush past agents to get to stage. Report here.