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| Donald Trump briefly threatened with criminal charges over punch at rally | Donald Trump briefly threatened with criminal charges over punch at rally |
| (6 months later) | |
| Donald Trump briefly faced the threat of criminal charges on Monday night, as efforts grew across the political spectrum to check his increasingly violent rise on the eve of key US primary elections. | Donald Trump briefly faced the threat of criminal charges on Monday night, as efforts grew across the political spectrum to check his increasingly violent rise on the eve of key US primary elections. |
| Police in North Carolina were reportedly investigating whether the Republican frontrunner should be prosecuted for incitement after an African American protester was hit in the face as he was escorted out of a rally in Fayetteville last week. | Police in North Carolina were reportedly investigating whether the Republican frontrunner should be prosecuted for incitement after an African American protester was hit in the face as he was escorted out of a rally in Fayetteville last week. |
| Trump has previously said he would like to punch protesters “in the face” himself, expressing nostalgia for a time when those causing disruption would be “carried out on a stretcher”. In common with other recent incidents, he offered to pay the legal fees of the assailant involved on Thursday. | Trump has previously said he would like to punch protesters “in the face” himself, expressing nostalgia for a time when those causing disruption would be “carried out on a stretcher”. In common with other recent incidents, he offered to pay the legal fees of the assailant involved on Thursday. |
| A Cumberland county sheriff spokesman said late on Monday that they would not charge Trump over the incident. | A Cumberland county sheriff spokesman said late on Monday that they would not charge Trump over the incident. |
| A spate of fresh violence at Trump rallies over the weekend is prompting renewed concern among senior Republicans, even though five states vote on Tuesday that could all but seal the fate of the party nomination and many were becoming resigned to his likely victory in the primary race. | A spate of fresh violence at Trump rallies over the weekend is prompting renewed concern among senior Republicans, even though five states vote on Tuesday that could all but seal the fate of the party nomination and many were becoming resigned to his likely victory in the primary race. |
| According to opinion polls, Trump is the clear favourite to win Florida, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri. He only trails in Ohio, the home state of the weakest of his three remaining opponents, governor John Kasich, who was joined on the campaign trail on Monday by former nominee Mitt Romney. | According to opinion polls, Trump is the clear favourite to win Florida, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri. He only trails in Ohio, the home state of the weakest of his three remaining opponents, governor John Kasich, who was joined on the campaign trail on Monday by former nominee Mitt Romney. |
| For the first time, the three largest states will award their 254 delegates on a winner-takes-all basis on Tuesday. This means Trump could dramatically lengthen his 460-369 lead over the second place Ted Cruz and create a clear path to winning the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination outright, rather than risk an ambush at the party convention this July. | For the first time, the three largest states will award their 254 delegates on a winner-takes-all basis on Tuesday. This means Trump could dramatically lengthen his 460-369 lead over the second place Ted Cruz and create a clear path to winning the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination outright, rather than risk an ambush at the party convention this July. |
| At Cruz’s latest rally in Preoria on Monday, the Texan senator was interrupted by a Trump supporter shouting he should “go back to Canada” – a reference to allegations over his right to stand as president that echo Trump’s own attacks on Barrack Obama’s birth certificate. | At Cruz’s latest rally in Preoria on Monday, the Texan senator was interrupted by a Trump supporter shouting he should “go back to Canada” – a reference to allegations over his right to stand as president that echo Trump’s own attacks on Barrack Obama’s birth certificate. |
| Cruz responded: “One difference between this and a Donald Trump rally is I’m not asking anyone to punch you in the face.” | Cruz responded: “One difference between this and a Donald Trump rally is I’m not asking anyone to punch you in the face.” |
| Trump, who has claimed without evidence that many of the protesters at his events had been sent by the campaign of Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders, has threatened to send his supporters to disrupt campaign events held by the Vermont senator. | Trump, who has claimed without evidence that many of the protesters at his events had been sent by the campaign of Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders, has threatened to send his supporters to disrupt campaign events held by the Vermont senator. |
| But a whirlwind of rallies held by Sanders and his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton remained peaceful on Monday as both rival candidates increasingly turned their attention to the threat posed by Trump. | But a whirlwind of rallies held by Sanders and his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton remained peaceful on Monday as both rival candidates increasingly turned their attention to the threat posed by Trump. |
| “Do you know how to stop the hate?,” Clinton told a group in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood that helps Mexican-Americans become US citizens. “In a democracy, you make your voice heard by becoming a citizen and voting on election day. Yes, there are voices of bigotry and hatred and prejudice and division.” | “Do you know how to stop the hate?,” Clinton told a group in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood that helps Mexican-Americans become US citizens. “In a democracy, you make your voice heard by becoming a citizen and voting on election day. Yes, there are voices of bigotry and hatred and prejudice and division.” |
| Similar arguments were by made Sanders at five rallies held in four states on Monday, where he claimed Trump’s political origins in the so-called “birther” movement were a very deliberate effort to “delegitimise Barack Obama” because of the colour of his skin. | Similar arguments were by made Sanders at five rallies held in four states on Monday, where he claimed Trump’s political origins in the so-called “birther” movement were a very deliberate effort to “delegitimise Barack Obama” because of the colour of his skin. |
| But Trump was defended by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who campaigned for him in Florida even though her husband has been seriously injured in a snowmobile accident. | But Trump was defended by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who campaigned for him in Florida even though her husband has been seriously injured in a snowmobile accident. |
| “What we don’t have time for is all that petty punk-ass little thuggery stuff that’s been going on with those quote-unquote protesters who are doing nothing but wasting your time and trying to take away your first amendment rights, your rights to assemble peacefully,” Palin said. | “What we don’t have time for is all that petty punk-ass little thuggery stuff that’s been going on with those quote-unquote protesters who are doing nothing but wasting your time and trying to take away your first amendment rights, your rights to assemble peacefully,” Palin said. |
| “And the media being on the thugs’ side – what the heck are you guys thinking, media?” Palin continued. “It doesn’t make sense! Well, you all get it. I think the media and too many other candidates are underestimating the wisdom of the people. | “And the media being on the thugs’ side – what the heck are you guys thinking, media?” Palin continued. “It doesn’t make sense! Well, you all get it. I think the media and too many other candidates are underestimating the wisdom of the people. |
| “It is time to get rid of the status quo. The status quo has to go, right? We have needed a revolution, and we found our revolutionary. Donald Trump is that revolutionary!” | “It is time to get rid of the status quo. The status quo has to go, right? We have needed a revolution, and we found our revolutionary. Donald Trump is that revolutionary!” |
| Additional reporting by Ben Jacobs in Peoria and Lauren Gambino in Chicago | Additional reporting by Ben Jacobs in Peoria and Lauren Gambino in Chicago |
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