ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper
Donald Trump was taken off the stage by security personnel during a Saturday night rally in Reno, Nev., when a man appeared to rush the stage.
The Republican presidential nominee noticed a protestor in the crowd and told event security to remove him.
But as Trump looked out over the crowd to spot the protestor, two men in suits ran to the stage, grabbed him by the shoulders and rushed him behind the curtain.
A group of security officials jumped over the barricade, protecting the stage and looking into the crowd, backing up shocked attendees who tried to take video of the protestor. Images emerged on social media of armed guards encircling someone on the ground.
Security led a bald man out of the convention hall as the crowd cheered and also booed the protestor. Moments later, a rally speaker took to the stage to tell the unsettled crowd that “nobody is going to stop this movement.” Trump returned to the stage moments later to continue his speech. The energetic crowd cheered his return.
Trump, who didn’t appear unsettled, briefly addressed the incident before jumping back into his speech. “Nobody said it was going to be easy for us, but we will never be stopped. Never ever be stopped,” Trump said. “I want to thank the Secret Service. These guys are fantastic – they don’t get enough credit,” he said.
A few minutes later, the businessman paused to thank his supporters for helping to protect him as the man rushed the stage. “I want to thank all these people,” he said, pointing to the area where the man was stopped.
“I saw what you were doing – that’s a tough group of people right there. I saw that, that was pretty amazing. Nobody messes with our people,” he said.
After the rally, MSNBC’s Jacob Rascon tweeted a picture of what appeared to be heavily armed police officers guarding a bathroom where the man had presumably been taken by officers.
ABC News reported no weapon was found on the man, according to sources. However, shouts from the crowd about a gun elevated the Secret Service’s response.
Trump’s campaign released a brief statement that echoed the candidate’s appreciation for Secret Service, but did not provide any additional information as to what had occurred.
The tense situation came during a slew of Trump rallies three days before the election, as the businessman and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton criss-cross the country before Election Day.
Trump rallies have been a hot-bed for protests throughout the cycle, with regular interruptions by mostly peaceful protestors, though altercations between protestors and Trump supporters have at times turned physical.
Trump did not appear to cut his rally short Saturday, despite the interruption. The incident took place about 35 minutes into his speech and he spoke for another 10 minutes after returning to the stage.
