Trump Defends Texas Bus 'Patriots' After GOP Chairwoman Says He Doesn't Endorse Harming Others
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has said President Donald Trump does not endorse hurting people, following an incident in Texas involving a Biden campaign bus.
The FBI has launched an investigation after some vehicles surrounded a campaign bus for former Vice President Joe Biden on Interstate 35 outside of Austin on Friday.
Video footage was posted to social media showing a black truck flying a Trump flag making contact with a white vehicle. The Biden campaign canceled some events over safety concerns. They said trucks seemed to be trying to slow down the bus.
Trump tweeted a video of the incident with the comment "I LOVE TEXAS!" The Biden campaign accused the Trump supporters or putting "staff, surrogates, supporters, and others in harm's way."
McDaniel discussed the incident on CBS's Face The Nation on Sunday. Host Margaret Brennan asked her to comment on the incident "that appears to be an act of intimidation endorsed by the president."
"I haven't seen that part of the video," McDaniel said. "I saw a little bit of the Trump supporters surrounding the Biden bus. Certainly, you don't want harm and we shouldn't be hurting other people, so the president would not endorse that. But I can't comment on that because I haven't seen the whole video."
In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong. Instead, the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists, anarchists, and agitators of ANTIFA, who run around burning down our Democrat run cities and hurting our people! https://t.co/of6Lna3HMU
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2020
McDaniel's comments contrast with the president's. On Sunday, Trump tweeted about the FBI's investigation into the matter and defended those who were allegedly involved.
"In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong. Instead, the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists, anarchists, and agitators of ANTIFA, who run around burning down our Democrat run cities and hurting our people!" he wrote.
Later on Sunday, Trump spoke to a campaign rally at Opa-Locka, Florida, and again appeared to defend those who had harassed the Biden campaign bus in Texas.
"They had the thing with these, really, I'd say very good people," Trump said. "They were riding along the highway, and you had Sleepy Joe's bus. So they escorted the bus and the radical left said, 'oh what a horrible thing.' They don't tell you about Antifa."
At the same rally, Trump joked about fighting Biden, saying: "Of all the people in the world I could fight that's probably the one I'd like to most fight. Those legs have gotten very thin."
