Trump's IS Protester Claim 'Utterly Farcical'
Experts dispute the Republican front runner's claim that a protester who tried to rush on stage at his rally has ties to IS.
15:07, UK,
Sunday 13 March 2016
US intelligence experts have rejected claims by Donald Trump that a protester who tried to storm the stage at his rally may have links to Islamic State.
The presidential hopeful's Secret Service detail swarmed around him as the protester was detained and escorted from the rally at Dayton International Airport, Ohio, on Saturday.
Mr Trump appeared shaken and then told the audience: "I was ready for him, but it's much better if the cops do it, don't we agree?"
Authorities have identified the man as Thomas Dimassimo, from Fairborn, Ohio. He has been charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct.
Speaking at a later rally in Kansas City, Mr Trump said Dimassimo had ties to IS, a claim which has not been supported by law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump thanks the audience during rally at the downtown Midland Theater in Kansas City
Play video "Trump Claims Protester Linked To IS"
"So, the judge let him go. And then one of my people said, wow. They found his name, and it was probably ISIS or ISIS related. Do you believe it? Certainly, he's not in love with our country, that I can tell you, okay?" Mr Trump said.
He tweeted a video which purportedly shows Dimassimo, reportedly a 22-year-old anti-racism activist, at a protest which involved students standing on US flags.
Experts who watched the video called Mr Trump's allegation "utterly farcical".
"Trump's accusations about it being linked to ISIS serve only to underline the totality of his ignorance on this issue," said Charles Lister, a fellow at the Middle East Institute.
Minutes before the Ohio incident, the Republican front runner spoke about tensions that led to another one of his rallies being cancelled on Friday, saying it was a "planned attack" by "professionals".
Violence broke out between his supporters and protesters after the event was called off. Five arrests were made and two police officers were injured.
It came after a series of recent violent incidents at Trump rallies, in which journalists and protesters have been punched, tackled and hustled out of venues.
Mr Trump said on Sunday he had "instructed my people" to look into the possibility of helping pay the legal bills of a man charged with assault and disorderly conduct at one of his rallies.
John Franklin McGraw of Linden, North Carolina, was filmed punching a demonstrator at the rally last week.
He was filmed saying he liked "knocking the hell out of that big mouth."
"Next time we see him we might have to kill him," McGraw said.
Without mentioning Mr Trump's name directly, US President Barack Obama gave a mocking rebuke of the Republican at a Democratic Party fundraiser on Saturday.
"We are great right now," Mr Obama said, in a comment playing on Mr Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America great again".
"What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even better - not insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith. Certainly not violence against other Americans.
