JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania — A man attending Donald Trump’s rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, stormed into the press room Friday as the former president was speaking, but was surrounded by police officers and sheriff’s deputies and eventually subdued with a Taser.
The altercation came shortly after Trump criticized major media outlets for what he called negative coverage and slammed CNN for Thursday’s interview with Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
The man climbed over a bike rack surrounding the media area and began to climb up the back of a platform where television reporters and cameras were stationed, according to video of the incident posted to social media by a CBS News reporter. People nearby tried to pull him off the platform and were quickly joined by police officers.
The crowd cheered as a group of police officers led the man away, prompting Trump to declare, “Is there any place more fun than a Trump rally?”
Moments later, police handcuffed another man in the crowd and led him out of the arena, but it is unclear whether this arrest was related to the earlier scuffle.
The incident came amid heightened scrutiny of security at Trump rallies after a gunman shot him and grazed his ear during an outdoor rally in nearby Butler, Pennsylvania. Security at political events has been noticeably tightened since the shooting.
It was unclear what motivated the man or whether he was a Trump supporter or critic. Harsh criticism of the media is a standard part of Trump’s speeches, prompting his supporters to turn to the press corps and boo, often while flipping the middle finger to show their distaste for journalists.
