Trump cheers rally attendee who punched protester at South Carolina event for Darline Graham

Protester punched as Trump cheers

Multiple protesters were removed from Donald Trump's rally at Clemson University in South Carolina on Wednesday, 21 October, and one was apparently punched by an attendee. A pool report counted at least nine interruptions by hecklers during the president's speech. As security guards escorted the protesters out of the arena, the crowd chanted "USA", and an attendee who followed one removed demonstrator appeared to slap the demonstrator on the head. Trump reacted with delight and asked who had thrown the punch.

“That was great, man. Wow. Man, I loved that.”

Trump also praised the attendee directly, comparing him to former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who was in the audience.

“You gotta give them credit. It takes courage to do that at a Trump rally.”

Campaign for Darline Graham

Trump was in South Carolina to support Darline Graham, the sister of Lindsey Graham, the late senator who died suddenly in July. Trump said Lindsey Graham respected his sister more than any person alive, and added that he had not been happy about it. Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to finish her brother's term on Trump's recommendation, and she now faces Democrat Annie Andrews in her bid for a full six-year term. The Guardian attributes the senator's death to a heart condition, while The Independent describes an aortic tear due to cardiovascular disease. Lindsey Graham, nine years older than his sister, had raised her after their parents died.

Protests on the campaign trail

Trump was interrupted repeatedly on Wednesday night, and he called the protesters "serious losers" while saying he did not mind when they interrupted, provided it was not at his punchline. Protesters have also turned up at his rallies in Texas, Ohio, Alaska and Kansas in October. On Tuesday, 20 October, he compared his hecklers to rioters in Paris.

“They get paid by the radical left lunatics that you watch taking place in France.”

Trump's campaign blitz has largely taken him to Republican-leaning areas he won comfortably in previous elections. The stops come as Republicans work to keep control of the Senate and the House in the 3 November midterm elections.

Polling backdrop

A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Monday, 19 October, found that 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, a record low for the president. Trump often dismisses demonstrators as "paid protesters", a label he used again in the run-up to the Clemson event.