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U.S. NEWSMonday 14 March 2016
Donald Trump stands by his antagonistic campaign rhetoric
rhetoric on Sunday, reject- ends Sunday evening in ton.
ing any responsibility for Florida, also comes less
violence at his rallies. His re- than 48 hours before polls In line with his pro-
marks come just two days open in five states that
before make-or-break pri- could determine whether tectionist economic
maries that likely offer his he wins the Republican
rivals their last shot at de- nomination without a con- pitch, Trump noted Kasich’s
railing his march toward his tested summer convention
party’s nomination. this summer in Cleveland. support for the North Ameri-
“We’re not provoking. We Against that back-
want peace. ... We don’t drop, Trump continued can Free Trade Agreement
want trouble,” he told a to blame protesters, me-
large crowd at a com- dia and even Democratic as a member of Congress
paratively docile event in presidential hopeful Bernie
Bloomington, Illinois. Sanders for the increasingly in the 1990s.
Trump’s remarks come af- caustic campaign environ-
ter a near-riot Friday night ment that his rivals assailed. Kasich, meanwhile, re-
in Chicago as the billion- Interrupted only sparingly
aire real estate mogul can- in Illinois, Trump assured his versed his months-long
celed a scheduled rally backers their frustration is
amid widespread alterca- righteous rage against a practice of avoiding the
tions among his supporters, corrupt political and eco-
detractors and authorities. nomic system. He cast his topic of Trump.
His three-state schedule, naysayers as “bad people”
which included a stop in that “do harm to the coun- Speaking with The Asso-
West Chester, Ohio, and try.”
He has tried since the ciated Press aboard his
aborted Chicago rally to
shift focus to Ohio, where campaign bus between
he faces a late push from
the popular Republican stops in Ohio, Kasich bran-
governor, John Kasich. The
outcome will help deter- dished his iPad and read
mine whether Trump can
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as vet- reach the 1,237 delegates a list of roughly a doz-
eran Keith Maupin asks the candidate to clarify comments he required to secure the
made about Arizona Sen. John McCain during a campaign stop nomination. en Trump quotes compiled
at the Savannah Center, Sunday, March 13, 2016, in West Ches- Tuesday’s results in Ohio
ter, Ohio. and Florida — in which the by an aide.
winner takes all the state’s
Associated Press delegates to the national The quotes includ-
convention — could be
decisive in the Republican ed Trump’scomments that
primary race. Ohio Gov.
John Kasich and Florida his audiences should “hit
Sen. Marco Rubio would
BILL BARROW — Republican front-runner face pressure to quit the back” a little more and a
race if either loses his home
ALAN SCHER ZAGIER Donald Trump stood by his state, statement that he’d like
At an earlier stop this week-
BLOOMINGTON, Illinois (AP) antagonistic campaign end, Trump aimed directly to punch a protester in the
at Kasich, calling him “a
baby” and deliberately face.
mispronouncing the gover-
nor’s Czech surname. “I never really had looked
“He’s not the right guy
to be president. He’s not through those quotes,” he
tough enough, he’s not
sharp enough,” Trump said said. “It’s really cause for
at an event outside Day-
pause.”
Trump’s events unquestion-
ably have become increas-
ingly tense over the course
of his campaign, and the
candidate has frequently
called for aggressive tac-
tics against protesters.
Trump confirmed earlier
Sunday that he was con-
sidering paying the legal
fee of a North Carolina
man charged with assault
after video captured him
punching a protester being
escorted by police out of a
March 9 rally in Fayetteville,
North Carolina.
He began this weekend
blaming protesters on
Sanders, saying the Ver-
mont senator’s campaign
organizes “disrupters”
at Trump events.
Indeed, some protesters
at Trump events are seen
carrying Sanders’ cam-
paign signs, but Sanders
scoffed Sunday at the no-
tion that he’s responsible.
