Donald Trump is a hot topic in America right now. As states vote in primaries, it is evident that this man, whom many deemed as a joke when he entered the Presidential campaign, has a great deal of supporters. Trump has been the butt of many jokes on social media and has been brushed off by his fellow Republicans, but the truth of the matter is that he should be taken very seriously. Trump is polling the highest in Republican polls, and his media coverage has been vastly more apparent than Cruz or Kasich. This is a scary truth for many, including myself, who disagree with his stances.
Recently students, veterans, and civilians alike have taken to protesting many of Trump’s rallies. These protests, and Trump’s responses to protesters, have sparked national coverage. But what else could be expected from a candidate that thrives in any sort of spotlight?
Last Friday, March 11, Trump canceled his rally in Chicago, Illinois due to the amount of protestors present. He wanted to make sure everyone was free from danger and said he would reschedule the rally. A majority of the protestors in Chicago were students from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Most students were minorities, protesting racist statements that had been made by Trump. This sparked a lot of anger from Trump supporters who were waiting to see him, and there were many clashes between protesters and supporters that resulted in a few arrests. This isn’t a surprise, however; protesters have been following Trump since he began his campaign, only now the crowds have grown. What has led to these protests, and what has led them to revoke their non-violent approach? A lot of it has to do with the atmosphere at a Trump rally.
Numerous videos of what exactly happens to protesters inside a Trump rally have been circling the Internet. They are often berated with hatred, have their signs torn apart, arrested, and manhandled by police. Even the most peaceful of protesters face some sort of violence when inside a rally, and instead of condemning the actions of his supporters, Trump has been encouraging them. This is not always the case of course, but there are the evident themes that he pushes.
Later Trump tweeted calling out Bernie Sanders, saying that he had been sending supporters to protest Trump rallies, and that Trump should do the same. The Internet has spread around a screenshot of Bernie’s response, saying that Trump should, so they know what an honest politician sounds like. After much investigating and research no such tweet has been found, proving it was probably made up. Either way, Trump blamed Bernie for the protesters, rather than finding out why they were protesting.
Donald Trump wasn’t the only one to take to Twitter after the protests. His son, Donald Trump Jr. also took to social media, asking what in the world people could be protesting about. John Legend replied, claiming that it was Trump Jr’s “racist father,” which induced even more backlash. People from both sides took to Twitter to speak their minds about the protests and the candidates involved. Many people came to defense of both Trump and Legend. Safe to say, it seemed to be an even match.
Protests are becoming the norm at rallies. Therefore, Trump should expect more in the future, especially as he continues to win states in the primaries. Who knows, maybe a few Trump supporters will start showing up at Sanders’ rallies as well to even the game.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/violence-erupts-at-donald-trump-rally-in-tucson-arizona-election-2016/
https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/708983126601682944