Written by Steve Holland
LITZ, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Republican Donald Trump complained to supporters on Sunday about gaps in the bulletproof glass surrounding him during a speech, warning that an assassin would have to use the press to get to him. He added, thinking that he would have to shoot through it. Don't worry too much. ”
In a meandering 90-minute rally speech two days before Tuesday's U.S. presidential election, Trump pointed to gaps in the panes of glass around him. Some of the reporters following President Trump at an event in Lititz, Pennsylvania, looked through one of the gaps.
The former president survived two assassination attempts this year, including a gunshot that grazed his ear during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Looking into the gap, Trump said, “Someone's going to have to shoot through the fake news to get me, but I don't really care about that.”
In the final weeks of the campaign, President Trump's rhetoric has become increasingly unrestrained. Arizona's top prosecutor on Friday launched an investigation after President Trump suggested former Rep. Liz Cheney, a prominent Republican critic, should be shot in combat.
Trump campaign spokesperson Stephen Chan issued a statement in response to the media's comments. He said President Trump is concerned about media safety.
“The president's statement about installing protective glass had nothing to do with the media being harmed or anything else. It was about threats against him caused by dangerous rhetoric from Democrats. ” the statement said.
A person familiar with the dynamics within the Trump campaign said Trump's remarks about the media were not planned and noted that Trump often improvises remarks.
Sources said President Trump personally requested Chung's statement.
President Trump spent much of his speech attacking the news media at the rally, at one point gesturing to television cameras and saying, “ABC, ABC, fake news, CBS, ABC, NBC.” So said. They are, in my opinion, deeply corrupt people. ”
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)