Critics erupted online Wednesday after an older MAGA rallygoer yanked a protester's hair during President Donald Trump's San Antonio rally.
Trump came to San Antonio to campaign for U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton and Carlos De La Cruz, who's running to represent Texas' 35th Congressional District. He was speaking at Freeman Coliseum when multiple protesters heckled him and drew a sharp reaction from the crowd.
After interrupting Trump's speech, one of the protesters appeared to head for the exit, but an older Trump supporter in a red MAGA hat ran up behind him, grabbed him, and started pulling at his hair, shocking even the people around him. The scene was captured by C-SPAN's coverage of the event and circulated online.
"Wow Trump gets heckled in Texas and the protester gets assaulted by a member of the crowd," MeidasTouch digital editor Acyn Torabi reacted in a post on X, sharing the clip.
"Bunch of snowflakes," blasted journalist Zaid Jilani, turning a common MAGA slur for liberals back at them. "Heckling is as American as apple pie."
"As expected, Trump doesn't even offer lip service to the principle of free speech," lamented author and activist Hemant Mehta. "He doesn't ask if the person is okay after being attacked by a MAGA thug."
PatriotTakes, an account that monitors right-wing violence and extremism, shared the video with the label, "MAGA violence."
"MAGA people are banshees and savages," slammed Army veteran and media personality Bruce Crossing.
"The guy who grabbed him committed assault," decried disability advocate James Tate. "Laws do exist at MAGA rally's, right?"
"For what it's worth, the vast majority of the MAGA folks in the vicinity of the assault immediately realize that's a big no no," offered political strategist Doug Landry.
According to a post by Texas journalist Adam Schwager, another group of protesters was kicked out of the event, and "as they were handcuffed and escorted out one woman threw a full cup of water on one of the men." Schwager reported that four protesters were removed from Trump's rally in San Antonio.