President Donald Trump mocked a protester as they were being physically attacked by his rallygoers.
At a rally in Columbus, Ohio, Monday, Trump’s address was interrupted by a fight in the stands. A video of the incident showed a bald man in a T-shirt punching a woman in the face, pulling her hair, and hitting her repeatedly.
“Paid protester,” the president said flatly, as the angry crowd chanted, “USA! USA! USA!”
Multiple security officers approached and roughly dragged the woman away, appearing to leave the man who attacked her in his seat.
“He’s a paid protester, they’re all paid. They get paid by the lefties in order to destroy our country. They’re scum. But he’s going back home to mom. He’s going back home to mom,” Trump said. It’s not clear whether he was referring to the protester as “he” to be derisive or because he genuinely could not see.
“Look at him. Look at him, terrible. Don’t we love law enforcement? Oh, he’s gotta go on a diet. He’s a fat guy. Wow. wow,” Trump said, the crowd bursting into cheers. “Gotta go on a diet fast, we all do.”
The crowd continued to chant: “USA! USA! USA!”
Trump’s unwillingness to condemn his supporters’ violence (and in many cases, his decision to encourage it) is obviously nothing new. But the failure to address violence that unfolds before his own eyes is still shameful behavior from any leader—let alone the president of the United States.