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Donald Trump Says Protesters Are Violating His First Amendment Rights
Yahoo News ^ | 3 hours ago | Dylan Stableford Senior editor

Posted on 03/20/2016 2:01:02 PM PDT by drewh

Donald Trump is once again shrugging off the escalating violence at his rallies, saying the people protesting his presidential campaign are largely to blame for incidents.

“These people are very disruptive,” Trump said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on Sunday. “These are not innocent lambs.”

The Republican frontrunner said the demonstrators who shut down an Arizona highway leading to the Phoenix suburb where he was scheduled to speak were violating his right to free speech — and the rights of his supporters to come hear him.

“They’re really stopping our First Amendment rights,” Trump said. “If you think about it, George, they block … they blocked a road, they put their cars in front of a road. We had thousands and thousands of people wanting to come. They were delayed for an hour because of these protesters.”

Trump continued: “These are professional agitators, and I think that somebody should say that when a road is blocked going into the event so that people have to wait sometimes hours to get in, I think that’s very [unfair] and there should be blame there, too.”

He added: “I think it’s very unfair that these, really, in many cases professional, in many cases sick protesters can put cars in a road blocking thousands of great Americans from coming to a speech and nobody says anything about that.”

The brash billionaire also refused to condemn one of his supporters who punched a protester as he was being removed by security.

“He or his partner was wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit,” Trump said of the protester. “This happened to be an African-American man who was very — a person at the rally, who was very, very incensed at the fact that somebody, a protester, would be wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit. Frankly, that was, you know, it was a tough thing to watch. And I watched that. But why would a protester walk into a room with a Ku Klux Klan outfit on?”

“We don’t condone violence, and I say it,” he said. “And we have very little violence, very, very little violence at the rallies.”

Trump even applauded his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, after a video appeared to show Lewandowski grabbing the collar of a protester at a rally in Tucson.

“I give him credit for having spirit,” Trump said. “He wanted them to take down those horrible, profanity-laced signs.”

Lewandowski came under fire earlier this month after he allegedly assaulted Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields after a press conference in Florida. Trump’s campaign denies her claims.

“When signs are put up, lifted up with tremendous profanity on them — I mean the worst profanity, and you have television cameras all over the place and people see these signs — I think maybe those people have some blame and should suffer some blame,” Trump said.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; arizona; bananarepublic; donalddrumpf; dylanstableford; election2016; newyork; poordonny; stephanopoulos; transcript; trump; trumpertantrum; youtubeproof
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To: LeoWindhorse

Country Clubs are already private with pro-security. Why doesn’t DT speak at his own clubs?


161 posted on 03/20/2016 7:36:39 PM PDT by huldah1776 ( Vote Pro-life! Allow God to bless America before He avenges the death of the innocent.)
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To: Iowa David

>>>agree the protesters are interfering with his free speech rights. But Trump complaining about profanity? Give it a rest<<<

Seriously? Kind of like comparing a Firecracker to a Hand Grenade my FRiend.


162 posted on 03/20/2016 7:37:24 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (There is nothing Democratic about the Democrat Party. (Or the GOPe))
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To: major-pelham

that absolutely needs to start happening again. I do not know what is wrong with people, everyone seems to have gotten so complacent. Willing to just sit back and be helpless Observers. Only the radical leftist empowered by their leftist Academia and big money Community organizer backers are out there shaking the roof


163 posted on 03/20/2016 7:44:20 PM PDT by LeoWindhorse
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To: Iowa David

Sad that Ted Cruz and others haven’t said what Trump has said about the protestors.

William F. Buckley called the Lefties who tried to disrupt the Democrats convention in Chicago in 1968 ‘crypto-fascists’.

The people disrupting Trump’s rallies are 21st Century brownshirts.

They belong in places like Venezuela where gov’t thugs have a history of intimidating opponents off the streets.


164 posted on 03/20/2016 8:06:40 PM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS:REMEMBER PASTOR NIEMOLLER)
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To: Grampa Dave

I don’t think that law means what you think it means. By this reasoning, they’d be able to shut down pro-life protesters who protest outside of abortion clinics.


165 posted on 03/20/2016 8:22:24 PM PDT by mquinn (Obama's supporters: a deliberate drowning of consciousness by means of rhythmic noise)
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To: Mariner

“The First Amendment, and all of the Amendments, only constrain government.”

In 1964, the Klan and others were charged with civil rights violations in the Mississippi civil rights workers’ murder.

Mississippi civil rights workers’ murders

“Because Mississippi officials refused to prosecute the killers for murder, a state crime, the federal government, led by prosecutor John Doar, charged 18 individuals under 18 U.S.C. §242 and §371 with conspiring to deprive the three activists of their civil rights (by murder)...”

Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_civil_rights_workers’_murders


166 posted on 03/20/2016 8:30:19 PM PDT by sergeantdave ( If not you, who? If not now, when?)
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To: mquinn

Apples and Oranges. Pro-Life is not suppressing the rights of the Death dealers with force violence and obstruction. The Professional Marxist Disruptors are actively interfering/blocking the rights of others,


167 posted on 03/20/2016 8:31:41 PM PDT by Mechanicos
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To: drewh

I smell a law suit.


168 posted on 03/21/2016 3:17:56 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: drewh

Lewandowski came under fire earlier this month after he allegedly assaulted Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields after a press conference in Florida. Trump’s campaign denies her claims.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thats the sucker punch right there in the article.

Fields was taken down by a Secret Service Agent who resembled Lewandowski. Fields approached Trump from behind leading with a pen in her hand , just like an assassin would have done. Everybody, including Trump detractors, know this is a fact.


169 posted on 03/21/2016 3:22:33 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: drewh
Sorry Donald but no.

The First Amendment has to do with Gub'ment...

Unless the protestors are Gub'ment employees or contractors then they are not violating your First Amendment Rights.

170 posted on 03/21/2016 3:24:16 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: Mad Dawgg

Yes, but Trumps civil rights were violated. I smell a law suit coming and its going to be YUGE!


171 posted on 03/21/2016 3:27:22 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: Candor7
"Yes, but Trumps civil rights were violated. I smell a law suit coming and its going to be YUGE!"

Yes, but calling it a violation of his First Amendment Rights is why our Gub'ment is so screwed up. No one knows what is in The Constitution anymore.

Candidates for POTUS routinely spout nonsense like they will "balance the budget" or "cut spending" or "Repeal Obamacare". when in fact all they will do is either sign bills handed to them by Congress or veto them OR ignore them (pocket veto)

The President can propose such, but Congress does the deed. And if Congress don't do it all the POTUS can do is whine about it.

It is time for Candidates and people who work in the Gub'ment to stop saying bullschitt and speaking the truth.

And BTW I voted for Trump here in Ohio and I pray he wins the nom. But I am tired of people who are running for office talking like they have no clue how the Constitution works.

172 posted on 03/21/2016 3:39:41 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: Mad Dawgg

And BTW I voted for Trump here in Ohio and I pray he wins the nom. But I am tired of people who are running for office talking like they have no clue how the Constitution works.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Be patient FRiend. Trump is using the demoncrat lefts own language against them. Without any hesitation either.
Mr Trump is extraordinarily cagey. We are just getting to know just how skillful he really is.


173 posted on 03/21/2016 3:50:55 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: drewh

Wow. Talk about refreshing!

A man running for office w/ the testicular fortitude to point out the hypocrisy.

I would love to see him come out this week w/ RICO/class action against the same.

Make the Left live up to the LAW and watch the meltdown.


174 posted on 03/21/2016 5:18:24 AM PDT by i_robot73 ("A man chooses. A slave obeys." - Andrew Ryan)
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To: drewh

A Trump administration is going to crack down hard on these types of Soros agitators and operatives.

That will be a very good thing to see...and long past time.


175 posted on 03/21/2016 5:36:04 AM PDT by Jeff Head (Semper Fidelis - Molon Labe - Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: Mechanicos

Well, that’s the same argument they could make; the law is colorblind.

This is why I routinely oppose the expansion of federal power, because while we may trust a particular person to not misuse it (Bush), the next one may be horrible with it (President Sanders. Ugh.)


176 posted on 03/21/2016 5:38:58 AM PDT by mquinn (Obama's supporters: a deliberate drowning of consciousness by means of rhythmic noise)
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To: Iowa David

Quit wasting bandwidth complaining about how crude Trump has been. It is the protestors who are the enemy.


177 posted on 03/21/2016 6:27:49 AM PDT by ohioman
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To: jstaff

The girl behind him and with him had the Klan hood. He was holding a sign calling Trump a racist. He deserved to get his ass kicked. (The Black guy did not want to hit a girl) The guy hitting the protestor should also get a medal. It was only misdemeanor assault - who f’ing cares!


178 posted on 03/21/2016 6:30:27 AM PDT by ohioman
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To: Mechanicos

Apples and Oranges. Pro-Life is not suppressing the rights of the Death dealers with force violence and obstruction. The Professional Marxist Disruptors are actively interfering/blocking the rights of others.

Thanks for the reply.

#1. No one at an abortion center has Secret Service protection.

#2, You have covered it. Also abortion protesters are not going into the abortion center and preventing them from doing their thing.


179 posted on 03/21/2016 7:35:03 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (I 'm just another low info/stupid & evil/vile/crazy Trump supporter wanting to select my candidate!!)
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To: ohioman

I care, and the fact that you don’t just reinforces the impression that the Trump Movement has been infiltrated by the anarchist movement. The fact that the thug in the crowd was offended by the demonstrator does not matter, people do NOT have a right to not be offended. Is that not what we have been screaming when the lefties start whining about how everything offends them? Are the rules different just because it’s Trump?

This was a chickens!t assault trying to hide behind politically correct sensitivities.


180 posted on 03/21/2016 7:46:07 AM PDT by jstaff
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