Report: Black Students Removed From Trump Rally In Georgia

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga., Monday, Feb. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Updated at 1:08 p.m. ET

About 30 black students were escorted out of a Donald Trump rally at Valdosta State University in Georgia on Monday, the Des Moines Register reported.

The students told the Des Moines Register that they were standing silently when they were removed from the event, and Secret Service told the students that Trump had asked for them to leave, according to the Des Moines Register.

A spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, Hope Hicks, told the Des Moines Register that Trump did not direct security to remove the students.

“There is no truth to this whatsoever,” Hicks said in an email.

The Secret Service told CNN that they were not directly involved in removing the students from the event, but one agent oversaw the students’ removal. An agent told CNN that the students were “asked to leave by the host committee and local law enforcement.”

“We do not escort protestors (or) disruptors out of events,” the unnamed Secret Service agent told CNN. “(It’s) not a Secret Service function and (campaign) staff knows that.”

A spokesman for the Secret Service, Kevin Dye, told CNN that the Secret Service does not help with the removal of protesters.

“If a group at an event protests, it does not become an issue with the United States Secret Service unless our protectee is threatened,” Dye said.

One of the students who was removed, Tahjila Davis, told the Des Moines Register that the group of students “didn’t plan to do anything.”

“They said, ‘This is Trump’s property; it’s a private event.’ But I paid my tuition to be here,” Davis said.

A video from a student appears to show the students being removed from the event.

In a Des Moines Register video, one student said that she believes they were kicked out of the event because they were a group of black individuals.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Musta been that darn faulty earpiece again!

  2. Pro tip for black students: The next time you want to attend a Trump rally, wear hoods and robes.

  3. Avatar for jep07 jep07 says:

    ‘This is Trump’s property; it’s a private event.’

    Is there any doubt that he would treat the White House with the same neoroyal ownership if he got elected?

    In the 400 years since my ancestors landed on these shores, we’ve been inching ever closer to a cultural equilibrium of real equality that rests at the heart of our national creed.

    But it has not come easy. and now it is so close, those who own too much are desperate to perpetuate class inequality that obstructs our very future, Those neoroyals are more desperate every season to impose their personal agenda on the rest of us by owning our precious democracy, and Trump’s got the whole mob gathering behind him for that purpose.

    The very victim class he represents lordship over is the one gathering as the mob to march up the hill behind the monster they all despised a week ago. And all they will get out of it is another generation of classification instead of equality.

  4. Avatar for docd docd says:

    People who aren’t devoted to Trump are a threat. Standing silent is a threat. Listening to what he says is a threat. And clearly, being black is a threat.
    Is anyone surprised by this?

  5. … and don’t forget your pitchforks!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

51 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for dwc Avatar for jep07 Avatar for nowarino Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for 1gg Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for carlosfiance Avatar for mantan Avatar for longtimeobserver Avatar for monpa Avatar for maxaroo Avatar for tao Avatar for dddinah Avatar for benthere Avatar for occamsrazor2 Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for beattycat Avatar for docd Avatar for misterneutron Avatar for map2 Avatar for kalnins Avatar for 1988ranger Avatar for corncaucus2008

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: