President Donald Trump says the arrest of one of his supporters after a clash with antitrust demonstrators a day earlier in Arizona is “disgraceful.”
Speaking at a campaign rally in Prescott, Trump condemned the arrest of the supporter, who has been charged with aggravated assault, and praised other supporters who were involved in the clash.
“I’ll never forget it as long as I live,” Trump said. “All the guy did was stand there and never forget it. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”
The clash occurred Monday afternoon as a line of supporters waited to attend Trump’s rally in Tucson. Video of the incident shows a man in a red “Make America Great Again” hat shouting at the demonstrators before being punched in the face.
The man, who has not been identified, then grabs a megaphone from one of the demonstrators and start shouting into it.
Tucson police say they arrested a man in connection with the incident, identified as 42-year-old Tony Pettway. He has been charged with aggravated assault and has been released from jail.
Trump did not mention the man by name, but he did mention the incident at the rally.
“He was a great gentleman,” Trump said. “A great man. He was a great man. He was a great man. He was a great man.”
Trump’s comments came hours after Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris raised concerns about violence at the rally and called for a peaceful election.
Harris tweeted that the violence in Tucson was “unacceptable,” adding that it is “not who we are as Americans.”
Trump also took aim at Harris during the rally, calling her a “monster” and accusing her of supporting the impeachment inquiry against him.
The clash in Tucson is the latest in a series of violent incidents at Trump rallies, including clashes in Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and Tulsa.
The president has repeatedly condemned violence at his rallies, but has also praised his supporters for their loyalty and dedication.