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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/26/trump-supporters-sceptical-about-pipe-bomb-arrest
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| 'I bet $500 they are lying': Trump fans sceptical about pipe bomb arrest | 'I bet $500 they are lying': Trump fans sceptical about pipe bomb arrest |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| As Donald Trump’s fans gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for his latest midterm campaign rally, many dismissed as a hoax the arrest in Florida of an apparent supporter of the president as the suspect behind mail bombs sent to 13 prominent liberal figures. | As Donald Trump’s fans gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for his latest midterm campaign rally, many dismissed as a hoax the arrest in Florida of an apparent supporter of the president as the suspect behind mail bombs sent to 13 prominent liberal figures. |
| Florida man charged with sending 13 pipe bombs to Trump critics | |
| As Trump supporters streamed into Bojangles’ Coliseum on Friday afternoon, many soaking wet from hours in relentless rain, the prevailing response to the arrest and charging of Cesar Sayoc, 56, was profound skepticism. At best, the connection between the Florida resident and the president was tenuous. At worst it was an outright lie. | As Trump supporters streamed into Bojangles’ Coliseum on Friday afternoon, many soaking wet from hours in relentless rain, the prevailing response to the arrest and charging of Cesar Sayoc, 56, was profound skepticism. At best, the connection between the Florida resident and the president was tenuous. At worst it was an outright lie. |
| Terry Pennington, 52 and from the outskirts of Charlotte, had waited in the rain since 9pm on Thursday, some 22 hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. He was wearing a camouflage jacket he had customized to read “Constitution Enforcement – protected by the 2nd Amendment”. He had no doubt about what lay behind the arrest. | Terry Pennington, 52 and from the outskirts of Charlotte, had waited in the rain since 9pm on Thursday, some 22 hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. He was wearing a camouflage jacket he had customized to read “Constitution Enforcement – protected by the 2nd Amendment”. He had no doubt about what lay behind the arrest. |
| “I bet $500 they are lying,” he said. “I bet it was a liberal who did it. Have you stopped to think why those bombs were only sent to high-level Democrats? They are trying to make it look like Donald Trump is encouraging terrorism.” | “I bet $500 they are lying,” he said. “I bet it was a liberal who did it. Have you stopped to think why those bombs were only sent to high-level Democrats? They are trying to make it look like Donald Trump is encouraging terrorism.” |
| He added: “The truth is, the liberals are the terrorists.” | He added: “The truth is, the liberals are the terrorists.” |
| His wife agreed. | His wife agreed. |
| “It seems like a lot’s been planted to make it look like a Trump supporter did it,” said Carrie Pennington, 48. | “It seems like a lot’s been planted to make it look like a Trump supporter did it,” said Carrie Pennington, 48. |
| In her view, the arrest of a suspect with clear ideological ties to Trump was an elaborate distraction from an impending rout by Republicans in the midterm elections. | In her view, the arrest of a suspect with clear ideological ties to Trump was an elaborate distraction from an impending rout by Republicans in the midterm elections. |
| “They’re just trying to deflect us from voting and focusing on the red tsunami that’s about to hit,” she said. | “They’re just trying to deflect us from voting and focusing on the red tsunami that’s about to hit,” she said. |
| References to a Republican or “red” electoral “tsunami” were among memes reportedly posted to social media by Sayoc. | References to a Republican or “red” electoral “tsunami” were among memes reportedly posted to social media by Sayoc. |
| Some 10,000 Trump supporters were expected to fill the Bojangles’ Coliseum to hear the president address his fourth rally this week. In his last appearance, in Mosinee, Wisconsin, he called for national unity before returning swiftly to familiar attacks on media and the Democrats. | Some 10,000 Trump supporters were expected to fill the Bojangles’ Coliseum to hear the president address his fourth rally this week. In his last appearance, in Mosinee, Wisconsin, he called for national unity before returning swiftly to familiar attacks on media and the Democrats. |
| Cesar Sayoc: what we know about the pipe bombs suspect | |
| According to a criminal complaint issued from the southern district of New York, Sayoc owned a white van that was “covered with images including images critical of CNN”. The van also had stickers on it critical of several of the Democratic individuals who had been the intended recipients of the mail bombs. | According to a criminal complaint issued from the southern district of New York, Sayoc owned a white van that was “covered with images including images critical of CNN”. The van also had stickers on it critical of several of the Democratic individuals who had been the intended recipients of the mail bombs. |
| Trump’s devoted followers in the sports arena were also scathing about that. Kathy Chenette, 62, a realtor from Mooresville, North Carolina, said she had read on Twitter that the same configuration of stickers on the back of the van had been photographed on the side of the van. | Trump’s devoted followers in the sports arena were also scathing about that. Kathy Chenette, 62, a realtor from Mooresville, North Carolina, said she had read on Twitter that the same configuration of stickers on the back of the van had been photographed on the side of the van. |
| “This was obviously Photoshopped,” she said. “I think it’s a distraction against the invasion of illegal immigrants at the border. It’s all set up by Soros.” | “This was obviously Photoshopped,” she said. “I think it’s a distraction against the invasion of illegal immigrants at the border. It’s all set up by Soros.” |
| George Soros, the billionaire financier, activist and philanthropist, was one of those who had a bomb mailed to his address. In the criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged that comments critical of Soros were posted on Wednesday on a Twitter account believed to be used by Sayoc. | George Soros, the billionaire financier, activist and philanthropist, was one of those who had a bomb mailed to his address. In the criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged that comments critical of Soros were posted on Wednesday on a Twitter account believed to be used by Sayoc. |
| “We just don’t know,” said Tyler Yelton, 43, who works as a landscaper. “Maybe he bought the van already with the stickers on it, or maybe this whole thing is a setup.” | “We just don’t know,” said Tyler Yelton, 43, who works as a landscaper. “Maybe he bought the van already with the stickers on it, or maybe this whole thing is a setup.” |
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