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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: drewh
I agree the protesters are interfering with his free speech rights. But Trump complaining about profanity? Give it a rest.
21 posted on 03/20/2016 2:17:29 PM PDT by Iowa David
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To: drewh
. . . the people protesting his presidential campaign are largely to blame for incidents.

Trump's right again.

22 posted on 03/20/2016 2:18:24 PM PDT by Arm_Bears (Rope. Tree. Politician/Journalist. Some assembly required.)
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To: drewh
There are severe laws on the books that make what happened to Trump in Chicago and other places illegal. See #1 below. Then, there are severe laws for those involved in conspiracies against political events. So some rectums sitting in front of their computers organizing and ordering actions like what has happened to Trump in the past weeks could find themselves facing severe fines and jail time. Mediots on TV and hired pundits on the internet pushing or dog whistling violence against Trump are guilty. See #2 below.

#1:

For one thing, the law makes it easier for the government to criminalize protest. Period. It is a federal offense, punishable by up to 10 years in prison to protest anywhere the Secret Service might be guarding someone. For another, it’s almost impossible to predict what constitutes “disorderly or disruptive conduct” or what sorts of conduct authorities deem to “impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions.”

#2: There is another interesting Code/law that applies the conspiracy/violation of peaceful assembly and free speech.

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; .... They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696; Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(a), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7018(a), (b)(1), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(a), title XXXII, §§ 320103(a), 320201(a), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(A), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3511.)

23 posted on 03/20/2016 2:18:50 PM 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: drewh
This Trump supporters says that's a silly statement.

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

It has no bearing on private actions.

24 posted on 03/20/2016 2:19:17 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: silverleaf

Thank you for posting those links. The media and politicians are lying about everything.


25 posted on 03/20/2016 2:19:34 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: SandRat

“The Babt is Crying.”

Wow. The day supposed “true conservatives” stand in solidarity to leftists trying to shut down free speech, and sees any one pointing it out as “crying”.

Ok, then. Since you guys think these guys are your allies. When they turn on Teddy, dont run here “crying” about it.

In fact, it will be hilarious watching Beck crying in a corner while he gets the s*** kicked out of him by people you all have given tacit support to.


26 posted on 03/20/2016 2:19:59 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: combat_boots

Perfect.


27 posted on 03/20/2016 2:20:34 PM PDT by ecomcon
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To: Mariner

“It has no bearing on private actions. “

Actually it does just as much.

If a bunch of leftist organizations tried to get FR’s web hosting service to drop this site, are you going to say “oh well. That’s all and proper. Just a good show all around. Pip pip!”

No! JimRob would sue on free speech grounds!


28 posted on 03/20/2016 2:22:47 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: TornadoAlley3

Whistle stops across the nation!

Does anyone expect us to act differently if Cankles is elected? (Sorry for the visual.)


29 posted on 03/20/2016 2:25:23 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: drewh

I judge the man by his enemies. I think FDR said that first
The enemies are the political elite. These citizens Washington D C.
We all know there is really not a dime’s worth of difference between the upper echelon of the two parties. Scratch a Mitch McConnell and you will find a Harry Reid. And on down the line. What is the real difference between Chuck Schumer and John McCain?
Fox News and CNN? NBC, CBS, ABC? MSNBC & El Jazeera?
You damn right, I judge the man by his enemies and all of the above are Trump’s enemies.


30 posted on 03/20/2016 2:25:45 PM PDT by Tupelo (Honest men go to Washington, but honest men do not stay in Washington.)
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To: SandRat

That doesn’t make any sense.


31 posted on 03/20/2016 2:27:39 PM PDT by Jay Thomas (If not for my faith in Christ, I would despair.)
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To: JPJones

I think he was a plant by establishment/media. They don’t have enough violence at a Trump rally to keep their narrative going so I think they put this guy in.

Just too much weird about it, the way the guy jumped out and pummeled the protester then just calmly turned around and gave up. If he was that incensed over the KKK thing, they would have had to pull him off.


32 posted on 03/20/2016 2:29:00 PM PDT by Kenny
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To: Tupelo

BUMP!


33 posted on 03/20/2016 2:29:40 PM PDT by onyx (You're here posting, so sign-up to DONATE MONTHLY!)
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To: SandRat

The Baby is Crying.


34 posted on 03/20/2016 2:29:47 PM PDT by Bobalu (I'm spitting on my hands, and hoisting the black flag!)
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To: drewh

If you read the Constitution Congress is prevented from violating 1st amendment rights. Doesn’t say anything about protestors. Protestors may be guilty of other things but not that one.


35 posted on 03/20/2016 2:30:33 PM PDT by Starstruck (I'm usually sarcastic. Deal with it.)
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To: LeoWindhorse

No. That’s not a good strategy at this point in the game.

The left are doing quite well at exposing themselves for what they are right now. Let them play their game.


36 posted on 03/20/2016 2:30:38 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Starstruck

Peaceful assembly is also in the 1st amendment.


37 posted on 03/20/2016 2:31:23 PM PDT by Jay Thomas (If not for my faith in Christ, I would despair.)
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To: SandRat

The wind blows a little too strongly for his taste and he cries.

Yeah, JUST who we need to stand up to the world. .s


38 posted on 03/20/2016 2:31:28 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: 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.”

Hey Dylan - GFYS!

A 20 something wants to derail America.

A man/child wants to stuff the whole of America in a marble sack and declare victory...

Pussy boy, you’re in deep sht!

Ed’s unhappy.


39 posted on 03/20/2016 2:32:48 PM PDT by Eddie01
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To: Kenny

I was wondering if the black man could have been part of a setup. My apologies to him if he was there as a Trump supporter or just there neutrally to experience a rally.


40 posted on 03/20/2016 2:35:41 PM PDT by Aliska ("No bank is too big to fail, and no executive is too powerful to jail." HRC 1/24/16)
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