Donald Trump said the people who come to his rallies aren't violent, but rather filled with "tremendous passion and love for their country," and when they see protesters, they react accordingly.
During the CNN Republican debate Thursday night, Trump told moderator Jake Tapper he doesn't condone violence, and "truly hopes" he's not setting a tone that promotes it. He said it's important to remember that his supporters "see what's going on in this country, they have anger that's unbelievable. They don't like seeing bad trade deals. They don't like seeing higher taxes. They don't like seeing a loss of their jobs." Their love of this country is a "beautiful thing," he continued, and some of the protesters who have targeted his events "are bad dudes" who are "really dangerous." Despite video footage from various events showing Trump demanding protesters be removed, he said it's not his campaign that shows them out, but "usually the police."
Trump did not say anything about the incident at his North Carolina rally on Wednesday night, where an elderly man punched a protester in the face. Ted Cruz brought up a Trump campaign event in Florida last week, when the Republican frontrunner asked his supporters to raise their hands and vow to vote for him in the upcoming primary. "I think that's exactly backwards," he said. "This is a job interview. We are here pledging our support to you, not the other way around." Trump categorized the incident as a non-issue, and said it proved "that's why I have much bigger crowds than Ted. We have a good time."
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