President Donald Trump is once again under fire from the media after a person at his rally in Panama City Beach, Florida on Wednesday suggested shooting illegal immigrants.
The exchange happened during Trump’s riff on illegal immigration, a common talking point at his rallies. (RELATED: Media Distorts Trump’s Words On Asylum-Seekers)
“How do you stop these people?” Trump asked of migrants illegally entering the U.S. “You can’t.”
After one attendee screamed out: “shoot them,” Trump shook his head and expressed a wry smile.
“That’s only in the panhandle can you get away with that statement,” Trump said. “Only in the panhandle.”
Both the spectator’s comment and the president’s reaction elicited an angry response from several prominent liberal journalists and commentators, with some even falsely accusing the president of encouraging violence against immigrants. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham Says Democrats Are Out To Destroy Trump And His Family)
At his rally tonight, Trump says the government is unable to violently attack immigrants, someone in the crowd shouted “Shoot them!”
The crowd & Trump erupt in laughter & cheers. Trump says, “Only in the panhandle can you get away with that statement.”pic.twitter.com/SgQd2OH9ti
— jordan (@JordanUhl) May 9, 2019
This is what endorsing and promoting violence against immigrants looks like. Disgusting and shameful: https://t.co/kDTZPZzLSF #RejectHate
— National Immigration Law Center (@NILC) May 9, 2019
Biggest applause line at tonight’s rally was Trump encouraging the crowd to shoot immigrants https://t.co/HGz3haRf1Z
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 9, 2019
Matt Wolking, a member of Trump’s re-election campaign, attempted to clarify the president’s reaction by pointing out that moments before, Trump had explained why border patrol is not allowed to use weapons.
Trump saying: “Don’t forget, we don’t let [border security agents] & we can’t let them use weapons, we can’t. Other countries do, but we can’t. I would never let them do that. But how do you stop these [caravans of migrants with a couple agents]? You can’t.” pic.twitter.com/x1VJvN46qp
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) May 9, 2019
“When you have 15,000 people marching up and you have hundreds and hundreds of people and you have two or three border security people that are brave and great, and don’t forget, we don’t let them and we can’t let them use weapons, we can’t,” Trump said. “Other countries do, but we can’t”
“I would never let them.”