JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A man will face misdemeanor charges after he broke into a press area, police said Saturday. donald trump rally During the former president's speech in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he was surrounded by officers and eventually attacked with a Taser.
The incident on Friday came after Trump criticized major media organizations for what he said was unfavorable coverage of him and called CNN “flattering” for its interview on Thursday with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.
It was not immediately clear what motivated the man, or whether he was a Trump supporter or critic.
According to a video of the incident posted on social media by a CBS News reporter, the man crossed the barrier surrounding the media area and began climbing up the back of a riser, where television reporters and cameras were stationed. People around him tried to pull him off the riser and were soon joined by police officers and sheriff's deputies.
The crowd cheered as a police team led the man away, after which Trump said, “Is there any place more fun than a Trump rally?”
Johnstown Police Chief Richard M. Pritchard confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that the man was arrested, released and will be formally charged next week. Pritchard said the man, whose identity will be revealed when charges are filed, faces misdemeanor charges in municipal court for alleged disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disrupting a public assembly.
Pritchard, who was not directly involved in the arrest, declined to speculate on the man's motives.
Sharp criticism of the media is a common part of Trump's rally speeches, and his supporters often respond by turning toward the press section and booing them; some use their middle finger to show their dislike of reporters.
Moments before the man entered the designated media section, Trump had repeated his familiar refrain that the media is collectively the “enemy of the people.” Video of the incident makes it unclear what the man was shouting as he climbed over the barrier or when he was subdued and arrested.
Trump's campaign sought to distance the former president from the man and his actions, suggesting he was an adversary of Trump.
“Eyewitnesses, including some in the press corps, reported seeing a deranged man yelling profanities at President Trump,” said Daniel Alvarez, a senior campaign adviser. “His aggressive behavior was directed toward the president and the podium as he entered the press area.”
Alvarez did not identify the witnesses he cited or say what the man may have yelled. Alvarez said the campaign commends local law enforcement officials and the U.S. Secret Service for their quick action.
Shortly after the incident, police took another man in the crowd out of the arena in handcuffs. It was not immediately clear if that detention was related to the initial altercation.
The incident came amid heightened security scrutiny after a gunman fired a bullet at Trump during an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, narrowly missing his ear. Security at political events has been tightened since the shooting.
A Secret Service spokesman referred these questions to local authorities.
