Donald Trump Inciting Violence

Quotes Related to Donald Trump Promoting and Inciting Violence

THEN
NOW


2012 - 2020
2017 - 2019

Trump Then - Trump Inciting Violence
Sanders Now - Trump Inciting Violence


#DonaldTrump 11/22/15: "❲The protestor❳ should have been, maybe he should have been roughed up." » #SarahSanders 6/29/17: "The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence." Click To Tweet

Quotes Related to Donald Trump Promoting and Inciting Violence

THEN

2012 - 2020

Trump Then - Trump Inciting Violence
“[Obama] lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country! The phoney [sic] electoral college made a laughing stock out of our nation. The loser one! We can’t let this happen… The world is laughing at us. More votes equals a loss…revolution! This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!”

Business Insider, Nov 6, 2012
Donald Trump Goes On An Epic Rant On Twitter After Obama Wins

(retrieved 3/22/19)
Trump Electoral College Tweets 2012
“I would never give up my microphone [to protestors]… I don’t know if I’ll do the fighting myself, or if other people will.”
- Aug 11, 2015

Press Conference, Birch Run, Michigan

Washington Post, Aug. 11, 2015
In Michigan, Trump attacks China, critiques auto bailout, and judges Bernie Sanders ‘weak’

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at beginning

“[The protestor] should have been, maybe he should have been roughed up.”
- Nov 22, 2015

Fox & Friends interview

Business Insider, Nov. 22, 2015
Donald Trump on his Black Lives Matter heckler: 'Maybe he should have been roughed up'

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 0:26

“So I’m watching a [football] game yesterday. What used to be considered a great tackle, a violent head-on — a violent — … you used to see these tackles and it was incredible to watch, right? Now they tackle. ‘Oh, head-on-head collision, 15 yards.’ The whole game is all screwed up. You say, ‘Wow, what a tackle.’ Bing. Flag. Football has become soft. Football has become soft. Now, I’ll be criticized for that. They’ll say, ‘Oh, isn’t that terrible.’ But football has become soft like our country has become soft. It’s true. It’s true…it’s become soft and our country has become soft.”
- Jan 10, 2016

Campaign rally in Reno, Nevada

Washington Post, Jan 10, 2016
Donald Trump: NFL ‘football has become soft like our country has become soft’

(retrieved 2/3/19)
“So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Ok, just knock the hell. I promise you I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise.”
- Feb 1, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Business Insider, Feb. 1, 2016
Donald Trump tells his fans to 'knock the crap out of' any protesters about to throw tomatoes at him

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at beginning

“I love the old days. You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They’d be carried out in a stretcher, folks… I’d like to punch him in the face.”
- Feb 22, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Las Vegas, Nevada

Politico, Feb. 23, 2016
Trump on protester: 'I'd like to punch him in the face'

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 2:09:41

“Well, I have to tell you, maybe I shouldn’t be changing [my tone when I become President] too much… I may very well change it, but right now it seems to be working pretty well.”
- Feb 24, 2016

NBC Today Show interview

Today Show, Feb. 24, 2016
Donald Trump: ‘I might tone down’ my style, were I to become president

(retrieved 7/23/18)
“In the good old days, they’d rip him out of that seat so fast. But today everybody’s politically correct. Our country is going to hell with being politically correct. Going to hell.”
- Feb 26, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

New York Times, Feb. 27, 2016
In ‘Good Old Days,’ Donald Trump Says, Campaign Protesters Got More Than Just an Escort Out

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 18:32

“Get him out. Try not to hurt him. If you do, I’ll defend you in court, don’t worry about it… We had one guy – in New Hampshire actually – who was a rough guy. And he was swinging and swinging and punching… We had a couple of people in the audience who were equally rough and they took him out, they took him out. No, no they took him out. And I’ll tell you what, it was really amazing to watch.”
- March 4, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Warren, Michigan

USA Today, March 15, 2016
Fact check: ‘Temperature’ at Trump rallies

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 47:49

“See, in the good old days, this doesn’t happen, because they used to treat them very, very rough. And when they protested once, they would not do it again so easily… They get away with murder because we have become weak.”
- March 9, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Fayetteville, North Carolina

USA Today, March 15, 2016
Fact check: ‘Temperature’ at Trump rallies

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 41:00

“[One protestor] was a rough guy and he was punching. And we had some people – some rough guys like we have right in here – and they started punching back. It was a beautiful thing. I mean, they started punching.”
- March 9, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Fayetteville, North Carolina

Associated Press, March 9, 2016
Donald Trump rally attendee charged with hitting black man

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 59:34

“[A protestor] was swinging very loud and then started swinging at the audience and the audience swung back, and I thought it was very, very appropriate… the audience hit back, and that’s what we need a little bit more of.”
- March 11, 2016

Press Conference, Palm Beach, Florida

Politico, March 11, 2016
Trump: 'There used to be consequences' for protesting

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 17:24

“You know, part of the problem, and part of the reason it takes so long, is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore, right? And they’re being politically correct the way they take them out, so it takes a little bit longer. And honestly, protesters, they realize it. They realize that there are no consequences to protesting anymore. There used to be consequences, there are none anymore…

“Our country has to toughen up, folks, we have to toughen up. These people are bringing us down, remember that.”
- March 11, 2016

Trump campaign rally, St. Louis, Missouri

Politico, March 11, 2016
Trump: 'There used to be consequences' for protesting

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 1:19:15

“Sometimes we talk a little bit tough. When I see somebody out swinging his fists, I say, ‘Get ’em the hell out of here.’ We’re a little rough. [Journalists] hate to hear that. ‘Why did you act so viciously toward that young person that was really protesting?’ See he wasn’t protesting. He was swinging. He was vicious. And you know what? They took him out. That was OK that day.”
- March 12, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Bloomington, Illinois

LA Times, March 13, 2016
Trump's endorsement of violence reaches new level: He may pay legal fees for assault suspect

(retrieved 7/23/18)
“He got over this railing…tries to make a rush at me — I was ready, I don’t know if I would’ve done well but I would’ve been out there fighting, folks. I don’t know if I would’ve done well, but I would’ve been ‘boom boom boom, I’ll beat the [mouths ‘crap out of you’].”
- March 12, 2016

Trump campaign rally, Kansas City, Missouri

Snopes, N/A
Did Donald Trump Encourage Violence at His Rallies?

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at beginning

“What I did is I say, ‘By the way, if you see anybody with tomatoes, right at the beginning you got to stop them. Do whatever you want to do.‘ I have no objection to what I said. I would say it again.”
- March 13, 2016

Meet the Press interview

NBC News, March 13, 2016
Donald Trump Discusses Violence at Campaign Rallies

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 3:30

“We had one guy… and I said, ‘Boy, I’d like to smash him.’ You know, I said that. I’d like to punch him… He was punching and swinging and screaming… And when he was being taken out, he walked out like this, with his finger way up, like, ‘screw everybody.’ And that’s when I made that statement.”
- March 21, 2016

Washington Post interview

Washington Post, March 21, 2016
A transcript of Donald Trump’s meeting with The Washington Post editorial board

(retrieved 7/23/18)
Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the second amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know. But I tell you what, that’ll be a horrible day.”
- Aug 9, 2016

The Guardian, Aug 9, 2016
Donald Trump hints at assassination of Hillary Clinton by gun rights supporters

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at beginning

“When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just see them thrown in, rough. I said, ‘Please don’t be too nice.’ Like when you guys [police] put somebody in the car and you’re protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over, like, don’t hit their head and they’ve just killed somebody, don’t hit their head, I said, ‘You can take the hand away, OK?’”
- July 28, 2017

USA Today, July 28, 2017
Trump tells law enforcement: 'Don't be too nice' with suspects'

(retrieved 7/23/18)
starts at 0:17

“The Democrat Party is held hostage by far-left activists, by angry mobs, Antifa, by deep state radicals and their establishment cronies. You ever see what happens when they take the masks of Antifa? You have guys — you have guys that look like they live with mom and dad in the basement. They live in the basement of mom and dad’s home. You know what that is? That’s the size of their biceps, but they wear — they wear the tough black outfits.
“No, I would never suggest this, but I will tell you, I — they’re so lucky that we’re peaceful. Law enforcement, military, construction workers, Bikers for Trump — how about Bikers for Trump? They travel all over the country. They got Trump all over the place, and they’re great. They’ve been great. But these are tough people. These are great people. But they’re peaceful people, and Antifa and all — they’d better hope they stay that way. I hope they stay that way. I hope that stay that way. And they will, the Democrats, say and do anything to try and undermine the result of the greatest election in our country’s history.”
- Sept 21, 2018

Campaign rally in Springfield, Missouri

Real Clear Politics, Sept 21, 2018
Full Springfield, MO Trump MAGA Rally: 'Our Country Is Respected Again'

(retrieved 3/18/19)

Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-MT) body-slammed a reporter, breaking his glasses on the eve of a special House election in May, 2017.

“Never wrestle [Gianforte]. Never. Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my kind of — he’s my guy. We endorsed Greg really early, but I heard that he had body-slammed a reporter. And he was way up … and I said, ‘Oh, this is terrible, he’s going to lose the election.’ But then I said, ‘Well, wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him,’ and it did … He’s a great guy and a tough cookie.”
- Oct 18, 2018

Campaign rally in Missoula, Montana

The Hill, Oct 18, 2018
Trump at Montana rally: I knew 'body slam' of reporter would help Gianforte

(retrieved 11/3/18)
quote starts at beginning
“No, no [I don’t regret praising Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-MT) for body-slamming a reporter]. Not at all… That was a tremendous success last night in Montana and Greg is a tremendous person and he’s a tough cookie, but I’ll stay with that.”
- Oct 19, 2018
“Democrats produce mobs. You’ve heard that. You’ve seen it. You’ve seen it. You’ve seen it. Antifa! They the helmet off, and they take the arm bands, and you see these little arms, you see these little arms. And then they see the clubs in their hands – you know they’re tough guys, right? Where are the Bikers for Trump? Where are they? Police? Where are the military? Where are — ICE? Where are the border patrol? No, no, we’ve taken a lot, we’ve taken a lot folks. But, you see these guys, you take off their helmet, their black helmet, their black outfit with the pads. They’re all tough guys and they’re swinging clubs viciously. They couldn’t care less who they hit. These are bad people. These are people causing problems and the press doesn’t want to talk about them.”
- Nov 4, 2018

Campaign rally in Macon, Georgia

New York Magazine, Nov 5, 2018
Speech: Donald Trump Holds a Political Rally in Macon, Georgia - November 4, 2018

(retrieved 3/18/19)
quote starts at beginning
“It’s hard to impeach somebody who hasn’t done anything wrong and who’s created the greatest economy in the history of our country. I’m not concerned, no. I think that the people would revolt if that happened.”
- Dec 10, 2018
“There’s a young gentleman with us today. There’s a young gentleman. I turned on my television the other day, and I saw somebody that was violently punched in the face. Violently punched. And I said that’s disgusting. By a bully, I’d like to do a lot of things. But, of course, we would never do that. Because if I ever said ‘violence,’ they would say, ‘Donald Trump attacked.’… Ladies and gentlemen, he took a hard punch in the face for all of us. Remember that. He took a punch for all of us. And we can never allow that to happen.”
- March 2, 2019

C-SPAN, March 2, 2019
President Trump at Conservative Political Action Conference

(retrieved 3/2/19)
“You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny. I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher. Okay? I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump — I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough — until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad. But the left plays it cuter and tougher.”
- March 13, 2019

Breitbart (via Washington Post), March 14, 2019
Trump: You wouldn’t like my supporters in the military if they got angry

(retrieved 3/18/19)
“How do you stop these people from crossing the border?”
Audience member: “Shoot them!”
“Only in the panhandle you can get away with that stuff. Only in the panhandle.”
- May 8, 2019

Trump Rally in Panama City, FL

USA Today, May 9, 2019
'Only in the Panhandle': Trump chuckles when audience member suggests shooting migrants

(retrieved May 11, 2019)
starts at beginning

“‘If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.’ Pastor Robert Jeffress, @FoxNews”
“These THUGS…when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
“Great job last night at the White House by the U.S. @SecretService… Big [protest] crowd, professionally organized, but nobody came close to breaching the fence. If they had they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. That’s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least. Many Secret Service agents just waiting for action. ‘We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice.'”
“Get tough police!”
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police [and cracked his skull] could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”
“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!”
“I remember this guy Velshi. He got hit in the knee with a canister of tear gas and he went down. He was down. ‘My knee, my knee.’ Nobody cared, these guys didn’t care, they moved him aside. And they just walked right through. It was the most beautiful thing. No, because after we take all that crap for weeks and weeks, and you finally see men get up there and go right through them, wasn’t it really a beautiful sight? It’s called law and order.”
- Sept 18, 2020

CNN, Sept 20, 2020
Trump mocks MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi for getting shot with rubber bullet

(retrieved 9/21/20)
quote starts at beginning
“They were big, strong guys… They were grabbing them left and right. Sometimes they grab, they grab one guy – ‘I’m a reporter, I’m a reporter!’ – ‘Get out of here!’ They threw him aside like he was a little a bag of popcorn. But no — but I mean, honestly, when you watch the crap that we’ve all had to take so long. When you see that, it’s actually — you don’t want to do that, but when you see it, it’s actually a beautiful sight, it’s a beautiful sight.”
- Sept 22, 2020

Factbase, Sept 22, 2020
Speech: Donald Trump Holds a Campaign Rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania - September 22, 2020

(retrieved 9/23/20)
quote starts at beginning
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you what. Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem.”
- Sept 29, 2020

New York Times, Sept 29, 2020
Trump Refuses to Denounce White Supremacy in Chaotic Debate

(retrieved 9/30/20)
starts at 0:44

“We sent in the US Marshals, took 15 minutes it was over [the protestor was shot dead]. 15 minutes it was over. We got him. They knew who he was, they didn’t want to arrest him, and 15 minutes that ended.”
- Oct 15, 2020

Twitter, Oct 15, 2020
We sent in the US Marshals...

(retrieved 10/15/20)
quote starts at beginning


#DonaldTrump 3/11/16: "The audience hit back, and that’s what we need a little bit more of." » #SarahSanders 2/22/19: "We have been consistent and repeatedly said that we condemn violence in all forms." #Civility Click To Tweet

NOW

2017 - 2019

Sanders Now - Trump Inciting Violence
“The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary. And he was simply pushing back and defending himself.”
June 29, 2017 -

White House, June 29, 2017
Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin

(retrieved 2/22/19)
starts at 38:21

“I certainly don’t think that the president at any point has done anything but condemn violence against journalists or anyone else. In fact, every single time something like this happens the president is typically one of the first people to condemn the violence and the media is the first people to blame the president. We should all join together and start condemning the violence whether it’s against members of the media whether it’s against Democrats, Republicans, any person in this country. That is unacceptable and that’s why every time it comes up we have been consistent and repeatedly said that we condemn violence in all forms.”
Feb 22, 2019 -

ABC News, Feb 22, 2019
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called out for claiming Trump quick to condemn violence against press

(retrieved 2/22/19)
quote starts at beginning
“Certainly the president is wishing no ill will, and certainly not violence towards anyone.”
April 14, 2019 -

ABC News (via The Hill), April 14, 2019
Sarah Sanders: Trump not wishing 'violence toward anyone' with 9/11 tweet

(retrieved 4/14/19)
quote starts at 0:39


Context

While clashes between Trump supporters and protestors were common at Trump 2016 campaign rallies, as of March 11, 2016, according to Time there were no documented cases of Trump protesters initiating violence against Trump supporters..1Time, March 11, 2016
Donald Trump on Violence at His Rallies: Protesters Are ‘Bad Dudes’
(retrieved 7/23/18)
2Vox, July 18, 2016
This is how Donald Trump protests became so violent
(retrieved 7/23/18)

The most violent documented incident occurred at a Trump campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on March 9, 2016, when a Trump supporter sucker-punched a Trump protestor in the face.3NPR, March 10, 2016
Trump Rally Attendee Charged With Punching Protester In The Face
(retrieved 7/23/18)

A 2019 University of North Texas paper reported a 226 percent increase in hate crimes in counties that hosted 2016 Trump campaign rallies over comparable counties that did not host Trump rallies.4Washington Post, April 22, 2019
Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes
retrieved 4/22/19


“I know what [Trump’s violence-inciting] rhetoric can do. I saw it happen [when white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine black parishioners in Charleston].”

Nikki Haley, June 2, 20165Associated Press, June 2, 2016
Haley talks of Trump, Confederate flag ahead of anniversary
retrieved 8/25/20