Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Las Vegas, told his supporters just what he wanted to do with a protestor who interrupted the Republican frontrunners speech ahead of Tuesday’s Republican Caucuses.
“I’d like to punch him in the face,” Trump said of the man, whom CNN said was escorted out looking pleased with himself. “He’s smiling, having a good time.”
In any other campaign, this would probably be shocking news, but the Trump campaign has seen its share of strange scenes. Trump has made a big deal about not liking his microphone, he’s told security to take people outside into freezing weather without coats, and he’s repeated an audience member’s misogynistic slur for Ted Cruz. So it likely isn’t a surprise to anyone that he chose to express a taste for physical violence when it came to these protestors.
Though many commentators have called Trump a “bully” during his presidential run, his bluster and intimidation aren’t exactly novel in the American politics; Presidents like Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson could also be considered “bullies.”