CLEVELAND: A defiant Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail Saturday after a “planned attack” shut down one of his rallies, as the Republican faced scrutiny over the racially-charged tone of his White House bid.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton issued a stern warning to Trump after the scenes of violence in Chicago, with days to go until a crucial new round of nomination votes Tuesday, in comments that were echoed by President Barack Obama.
“If you play with matches, you’re going to start a fire you can’t control. That’s not leadership,” Clinton said, adding to mounting charges that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric against immigrants and Muslims has dangerously raised tensions. “That’s political arson.”
Friday’s violence flared after throngs of protesters — many of them blacks and Latinos angered by Trump’s anti-immigrant stance — massed at the Chicago venue in a tense standoff with the candidate’s own supporters, with fistfights breaking out as the meeting was called off.
Trump has placed the blame for the disturbances — which briefly triggered scenes reminiscent of the civil unrest of the 1960s with bottles hurled at officers and people trying to take over the stage — squarely on protesters he styled as “thugs.”
Calling himself “energized” by the opposition, the real estate mogul forged ahead Saturday with two huge meetings in the heartland state of Ohio, which passed off peacefully despite fears of fresh troubles.
As is now the norm at Trump rallies, a dozen protesters gathered in protest outside the cavernous exhibition center hosting his Cleveland rally, holding signs that said: “Dump Trump!” and “Donald Trump: Making America Hate Again.”
