Trump praised a participant at a Republican rally in South Carolina who struck a protester

Riana Gegiu

22 October 2026, 11:49

International

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Donald Trump praised an attendee at his rally in South Carolina who appears to have punched a protester in the head as security agents escorted him out.

“That was great, man. Wow. Man, I loved that. I saw it,” Trump said.

The incident occurred during a campaign event at which the U.S. president was supporting Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump reacted enthusiastically after seeing the moment and asked who the person was who had “thrown the punch.” The president compared him to former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who was present at the rally, and said it takes courage to intervene at a Trump event.

“He took the hit,” the White House leader commented.

According to accredited media, Trump was interrupted at least nine times by protesters booing him. The crowd chanted “USA” as security agents removed the demonstrators from the arena. One attendee followed one of the protesters and appeared to hit him.

In recent weeks, protests have become frequent at Trump’s rallies, held ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The 32-day campaign is focused especially on Republican areas, as the party tries to retain control of Congress. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated an approval rating of 31% for Trump.

Context: Trump intensifies his election campaign amid protests and internal political pressure ahead of the midterm elections

Before the rally in South Carolina, Trump held a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, to support Republican Michael Whatley in the race for the U.S. Senate. Trump sought to mobilize voters, promising “amazing” results even though Democrat Roy Cooper was considered the favorite in the polls, while the Republicans’ campaign became more complicated after the Senate Leadership Fund decided to stop its spending in the state.

Also ahead of the election, the president experienced episodes of interruption at rallies: at an event in San Antonio, Texas, he was interrupted by protesters, and approximately ten people were removed. Trump described them as “paid protesters,” while his supporters booed those escorted out of the room; politically targeted messages were also reported during the event, including references to “SOS Cuba.”