BBC cameraman shoved by Trump supporter at Texas rally
A BBC journalist was attacked by a President Trump supporter during a rally in El Paso, Texas, on Monday night. A man wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat entered the press pen and shoved cameraman Ron Skeans from behind before he was pulled away by other media members, the BBC reported.
President Trump was holding the event in El Paso to campaign for a border wall as lawmakers in Washington were working to avert another government shutdown later this week. In the moments leading up to the attack, Mr. Trump was talking about jobs and how the media was misrepresenting him.
An unidentified man approached the area where credentialed journalists were situated and gave the cameraman a "very hard shove," Skeans said, almost knocking him and his camera over twice. Video from Skeans' camera showed the attacker shouting expletives about the media as he was being dragged away.
President Trump, who frequently goes after media in tweets and rallies, saw the commotion and asked, "You all right? Everything OK?" He offered the media a a thumbs-up and continued his speech after Skeans returned the gesture, according to the BBC. Yet during the remainder of the rally, Mr. Trump continued to single out journalists and call them "fake news."
The BBC reports a campaign official suggested afterwards that the attacker was drunk.
The White House Correspondents' Association condemned the "physical attack on our colleague" at the president's rally. The group added, "The president of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable."
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying: "President Trump condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people — including members of the press. We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner."
In a statement provided to CBS News, Trump for President chief operating officer Michael Glassner said, "An individual involved in a physical altercation with a news cameraman was removed from last night's rally. We appreciate the swift action from venue security and law enforcement officers."
BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue told BBC Radio 4's Today that it was "an incredibly violent attack."
"This is a constant feature of these rallies — a goading of the crowds against the media," O'Donoghue said, who added that he had been "spat at before."