President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, took a chaotic turn Friday when protesters interrupted his speech, prompting boos from the crowd and an unusual response from the president.
Trump was in Dalton to campaign for Rep. Mike Collins, the Republican nominee challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), as early voting got underway in Georgia. He stopped speaking as the disturbance unfolded roughly 20 minutes into his remarks, with his MAGA supporters behind him visibly reacting to the commotion.
“Well, you know, they’re paid protesters,” Trump declared, without offering evidence. He then joked that the protesters’ parents would punish them.
“Their mother and father are watching, and they’re gonna smack those kids around when they go home,” he said.
Trump then heaped praise on a woman who he said wore a yellow cape and confronted the protesters.
“Where’s the woman with the yellow cape?” he asked. “She went up there, ripped them out of their seats and threw them the hell out of here.”
“We’re gonna bring her to Washington. I love it,” Trump added. “She’s pushing them around, slapping the guy around.”
Trump also claimed, again without evidence, that the protesters were paid $250 each. He then suggested Ossoff might be responsible.
“See now, he probably paid them,” Trump said. “The guy’s a loser.”
It was the latest headline-grabbing moment from Trump’s midterm rallies this week, after an Ohio stop drew scrutiny over empty seats and he raced through his affordability pitch to a quiet crowd in Alaska.
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