The Donald has apparently had it with hecklers. Earlier today at a rally at Radford University in Virginia, some black students were escorted out when they began chanting. However, at a later rally at Valdosta State University in Georgia today, the Secret Service removed about 30 black students before Trump even began speaking.
The sight of the students, who were visibly upset, being led outside by law enforcement officials created a stir at a university that was a whites-only campus until 1963.
“We didn’t plan to do anything,” said a tearful Tahjila Davis, a 19-year-old mass media major, who was among the Valdosta State University students who was removed. “They said, ‘This is Trump’s property; it’s a private event.’ But I paid my tuition to be here.”
Video of the students being escorted out has appeared on Twitter.
Video from inside Trump rally of students led out from bleachers. Courtesy Kiebbler Carter, 22, who wasn't removed. pic.twitter.com/Ubmjq492DL
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 1, 2016
More from Valdosta's Kiebbler Carter, as crowd watches black students in silent protest being led out of Trump rally pic.twitter.com/xeX1ePFLJO
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 1, 2016
The black Valdosta U students tell me they were standing silently in the bleachers when Secret Service told them Trump wanted them removed.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 29, 2016
There was a protest planned, but it was a silent one.
Valdosta State U was a whites-only campus until 1963. Black students not removed from Trump rally today protested him by sitting silently.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 1, 2016
And the others who were participating in the protest drew no attention from Secret Service.
Trump had 1 group of ~30 black students removed before his remarks at Valdosta, but many other small groups remained, & caused no disruption
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 1, 2016
The Trump campaign is trying to deny that Trump himself asked for the students’ removal.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks in an email late Monday night denied that the students were shown the door “at the request of the candidate.”
“There is no truth to this whatsoever,” Hicks said.
However, there is some speculation that the campaign may have invoked his name to get the Secret Service to act.
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks says "the candidate" didn't ask Valdosta students to leave, but not answering if campaign requested it.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 1, 2016
Whether it was Trump himself or his campaign that wanted these students removed, it really doesn’t matter. What it does show is that after being too clueless to quickly and decisively distance himself from David Duke and the KKK’s endorsement, the Donald and his campaign are extraordinarily nervous about allowing him to be confronted on this issue. But this time, the preemptive move to take the students out of the rally before Trump even got on stage may have been an assumption too far that will cost him. It depends on how much traction this story gets from a media who knows that they are making a pretty profit off of covering the Donald.
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