Donald Trump’s campaign sought to clean up the former president’s violent rhetoric toward journalists Sunday, issuing a statement arguing Trump was actually “looking out for their welfare” when he said he wouldn’t mind if someone were to “shoot through” reporters if that person was trying “to get to me.”
The statement, issued by campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung shortly after Trump wrapped his remarks, did not accurately reflect what the former president said during his Pennsylvania campaign rally and was a blatant attempt by the campaign to spin the violent comments two days from Election Day.
“The President’s statement about protective glass placement has nothing to do with the Media being harmed, or anything else. It was about threats against him that were spurred on by dangerous rhetoric from Democrats. In fact, President Trump was stating that the Media was in danger, in that they were protecting him and, therefore, were in great danger themselves, and should have had a glass protective shield, also. There can be no other interpretation of what was said. He was actually looking out for their welfare, far more than his own!” Cheung said in a statement.
Trump on Sunday said he wouldn’t mind if somebody were to “shoot through the fake news” if they were trying “to get to me,” as he talked about the way the protective glass around him onstage was laid out.
“I have a piece of glass over here … and I have this piece of glass here. But all we have really over here is the fake news, right? And to get me somebody would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don’t mind that so much. I don’t mind,” Trump said.
