Man Arrested For Running At Trump During Rally

On Saturday, during a rally in the crucial primary state of Ohio, some drama unfolded for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. According to reports from various outlets, including ABC News and CBS News, Secret Service agents swept in to shield Donald Trump during a disruption in the event, as a man was reportedly charging towards the stage. He was ultimately halted by the Secret Service before successfully breaching the stage, however, and was arrested and charged.

It was a suddenly and briefly chaotic scene, amid all the standard-issue chaos that's become increasingly routine at Trump events. Between the interjections and interruptions of protesters incensed by Trump's oft-authoritarian attitude and rhetoric, and the simmering culture of violence that's been in evidence at his rallies (in some cases he's been calling for protesters to be beaten up from the stage, and he even once claimed he'd pay any resulting legal bills), it's no secret that Trump rallies are not always safe places to be.

But this is the first publicly visible instance of a security threat against Trump, as the man in question — identified as Thomas Dimassimo — reportedly rushed towards the stage in a manner that caused the Secret Service to jump to the Republican candidate's defense, briefly shielding him from all sides.

Moments before the disruption, Trump had been lobbing taunts at a different protester who was being removed from the event, saying "Go back home to mommy. ... Take him back home to mom; she’ll lock him in his bedroom." His speech was then abruptly cut short, as the Secret Service moved onto the stage and he whipped his head around. The crowd was clearly startled too, but greeted Trump with a swell of cheers — roaring chants of "TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!" segueing into chants of "USA! USA! USA!" — before he began to speak again.

I was ready for him, but it's much easier if the cops do it, don't we agree?

According to the Dayton Airport Police Department's statement to NBC News, Dimassimo has been charged with a pair of misdemeanors, for inducing panic, and disorderly conduct. It was always mentioned that one of the agents suffered a minor injury to the nose during the incident. This comes hot on the heels of Friday night's tumult following a Trump rally cancellation in Chicago, which saw violence break out between Trump supporters and protesters.