President Donald Trump compared interruptions at his North Carolina rally with unrest in France while campaigning for a Republican Senate candidate who trails in a state poll.
Trump appeared in Greenville on Tuesday for Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman running against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. In an Elon University poll released Tuesday, Cooper drew 52% support among likely voters, compared with 39% for Whatley. The survey was conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 8 and had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points for likely voters.
The Independent reported that two protesters interrupted Trump shortly after he began speaking. Trump alleged the hecklers were paid by “the radical left lunatics” and described the disruption as “a slightly lesser event” than the unrest in France.
At a later interruption, Trump told supporters, “Don’t hurt them,” and acted out a punch toward the protesters, The Independent reported.
The Independent said concerns about living costs and school conditions were behind the French demonstrations. It reported thousands of arrests amid rioting and looting. In a Sunday national address, French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the violence on people from far-left fringe groups and criminals.
Whatley and Cooper are competing for a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina. Democrats need four net Senate gains. North Carolina’s general election is Nov. 3.
