Republican senator, swarmed by protesters after Trump speech, calls for FBI probe

By Lisa Lambert

 

Protesters confront U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) during a protest in Washington, U.S. August 28, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Rand Paul on Friday called on the FBI to investigate a crowd of protesters that swarmed him as he departed the White House after listening to U.S. President Donald Trump accept his party's nomination for re-election.

 

Paul told Fox News Channel he believes the group chanting his name and pushing against his impromptu police escort was paid to incite a riot. He did not say who he believes financially backed them or offer any evidence for his contention.

 

"I believe there are going to be people who were involved with the attack on us that actually were paid to come here and are not from Washington, D.C., and are sort of paid to be anarchists," Paul said. "The FBI needs to investigate but the only way you can do it is you have to arrest people."

 

Trump on Friday called the protesters "thugs."

 

Addressing supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire, Trump said people attending his speech at the White House on Thursday night "walked out to a bunch of thugs ... That wasn't friendly protesters. They were thugs."

 

"He’d either be in very bad shape, or dead, and that would include his wife, if those policemen didn't happen to be there," Trump said of Paul, while also accusing the Democratic mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, of giving police "bad instructions."

 

Paul, his wife and two guests scrapped plans to walk to their hotel near the White House after Trump's speech to the Republican convention when they saw large crowds demonstrating.

 

Instead, they rode a bus with others to the Trump International Hotel and then attempted to take an Uber back. When protesters blocked the car, they walked. Demonstrators recognized Paul and immediately drew close. His group then found police for protection.

 

Video posted online shows a crowd surrounding Paul and his wife and the police. One man yells repeatedly, "say her name," a reference to Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed by police in March in Kentucky, the state that Paul represents.

 

One officer appears to use his bicycle to push a protester and stumbles into Paul after the protester shoves him. At no point does it show Paul being physically attacked.

 

Paul said protesters also threatened "to f you up" and "to kill you."

 

Convention attendees could hear hundreds of anti-Trump protesters gathered just beyond the White House gates shouting and blowing horns as Trump spoke. As some attendees left, they were confronted by masked demonstrators, social media postings show.

 

Republican Representative Brian Mast shared a video of protesters stopping him outside the White House, where one repeatedly shouts, "What do you think about police killing Black people in this country?" and drowns out his answers.

 

Fellow Representative Jim Jordan told Fox the demonstrations were so thick when he left the White House that he decided to get a ride with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who had Capitol Police protection.

 

Lafayette Square, across from the White House, was the site of protests earlier this summer, following the police killings of Taylor and African-American George Floyd. Washington's local government later changed the name of the street leading to it to Black Lives Matter Plaza.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert, additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry, Rosalba O'Brien and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-29

 

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Winning hearts and minds by attacking Rand Paul and his wife? The intolerance on display is quite staggering, this is fascism in action. Lucky the police haven't been totally defunded and were there to protect the couple from the leftist mob. I don't suppose this violence and intimidation will impress the average voter. Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Winning hearts and minds by attacking Rand Paul and his wife? The intolerance on display is quite staggering, this is fascism in action. Lucky the police haven't been totally defunded and were there to protect the couple from the leftist mob. I don't suppose this violence and intimidation will impress the average voter. Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

And you know that it was paid for how exactly?

6 minutes ago, rcummings said:

And you know that it was paid for how exactly?

He doesnt. Its just conspiracy.

2 minutes ago, rcummings said:

And you know that it was paid for how exactly?

Because I read the OP, and find Rand Paul a credible source. An interesting side effect of this recent violence is Rep Jim Banks introducing a bill that will strip these protesters that burn, loot and cause violence of their benefits. This is a great move, to reintroduce the concept of personal responsibility.

https://banks.house.gov/uploadedfiles/peaceful_protest_act.pdf

13 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

So every idiot action in US is paid or easy to blame Democrats (that what you actualy mean)! If you have any evidence bring that to all, other way your txt is same huge bs that your "god's" potus!

13 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Winning hearts and minds by attacking Rand Paul and his wife? The intolerance on display is quite staggering, this is fascism in action. Lucky the police haven't been totally defunded and were there to protect the couple from the leftist mob. I don't suppose this violence and intimidation will impress the average voter. Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

 

It's not fascism, fascism actually is systematic. Anarchy is even more organized. This is pure, outright, lunacy. I hope they can be prosecuted federally.

26 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

One officer appears to use his bicycle to push a protester and stumbles into Paul after the protester shoves him. At no point does it show Paul being physically attacked.

LOL no, they didn’t get their hands on Rand, they just shoved the cop into Rand. But he wasn’t physically attacked. 
 

The amount of spin it takes to report like this is disturbing. 

And unless I’m missing it being reported in that ridiculous article, Rand Paul is arguably the biggest republican ally the woke left anti police mob could have, being the author of the Justice for Breonna Taylor act that does away with No-Knock warrants. 
 

But anyway, at this point by all means keep this up Democrats. Polling is getting really bad for you guys because of it. 

3 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

The amount of spin it takes to report like this is disturbing. 

Exactly. Trumps gang making something out of nothing again. Move on. Nothing to see here.

3 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

LOL no, they didn’t get their hands on Rand, they just shoved the cop into Rand. But he wasn’t physically attacked. 
 

The amount of spin it takes to report like this is disturbing. 

 

I am too lazy to type right now but the thing about him co-sponsoring laws against no knock warrants is hilarious. They were protesting the girl's death while attacking the guy that is sponsoring legislation to ban no knock warrants which is how she died. You can't make this up.

Just now, Cryingdick said:

 

I am too lazy to type right now but the thing about him co-sponsoring laws against no knock warrants is hilarious. They were protesting the girl's death while attacking the guy that is sponsoring legislation to ban no knock warrants which is how she died. You can't make this up.

Rand Paul did.

1 minute ago, polpott said:

Rand Paul did.

 

Pardon me if I don't feel completely rebutted and rebuked. 

6 minutes ago, polpott said:

Exactly. Trumps gang making something out of nothing again. Move on. Nothing to see here.

You wish amigo. And it wasn’t just Rand Paul. It was little old couples minding their own business and military vets with missing limbs.

Needs to be blasted far and wide (and it is)

35 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

I don't suppose this violence and intimidation will impress the average voter. Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

You didn't seem to quite so vociferous when the rightist mob were out with guns recently and where people were killed as a result. You should either decry all violence, regardless of which side it came from, or just admit to being a tunnel visioned, right wing conspiracy fueled hypocrite.

I note here mind, that there was no actual violence, though you wouldn't think that was the case the way your mob are baying. Rand Paul was mobbed, not battered.

28 minutes ago, rcummings said:

And you know that it was paid for how exactly?

Swarming Incorporated!  Serial swarmers! Rent a swarm!????

 

33 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Winning hearts and minds by attacking Rand Paul and his wife? The intolerance on display is quite staggering, this is fascism in action. Lucky the police haven't been totally defunded and were there to protect the couple from the leftist mob. I don't suppose this violence and intimidation will impress the average voter. Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

 Or simply saying, "We are sick of the BS from The White House!" Damn it! Wherrrre's ma gun!

54 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Republican senator, swarmed by protesters after Trump speech, calls for FBI probe

Wow, that's sounds serious!

Oh, wait, the senator in question is Rand Paul?  Nevermind. Just another day for him.

This will get him some face time on the news talk shows over the weekend.  Good shot, RP.

 

 

Just a reminder that if you post false information you may get suspended, so I suggest posters making claims of paid-to-protest remarks have a link to a credible source or you will face a suspension.  

 

I am trying to understand  why the call for an FBI investigation ? The suggestion that this was a "paid  for"  crowd of protestors is no more than a suggestion. If anything it  could as easily be  an attempt  to elicit some sympathy in the face of unwelcome  but  legitimate protest.

No reports of  brandishing  weapons or direct physical attack.

It is  just  sad to see how the USA  is imploding.

Rand Paul is a real PoS.  Just for a little background.  He trained as an opthalmologist, but never because board certified.  So he found his own certification board, the "National Opthalmology Board," and certified himself.  His NOB went out of business the next year.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/11/08/rand-paul-has-another-problem/

Just now, cmarshall said:

Rand Paul is a real PoS.  Just for a little background.  He trained as an opthalmologist, but never because board certified.  So he found his own certification board, the "National Opthalmology Board," and certified himself.  His NOB went out of business the next year.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/11/08/rand-paul-has-another-problem/

 

That's one side of the story. Any details of the content of the character of the people that tried to attack him a day before the March on Washington?

Uh ho better ask bunker boy if there’s room for him in the bunker lol much ado about nothing imo but if it’s all you got oh well and I do find it ironic no trump supporters are decrying that punk wanna be cop going to someone else’s home town and straight up murdering 2 people go figure 

The new normal for some folks..."protesters" have moved their fear mongering into restaurants...forcing patrons to say the names of blacks that have been killed by police.

 

The streets are unsafe...if you defend your own home in Dem cities...you may be arrested and charged with a felony...while those trespassing and threatening you and your family...go free.

 

If Trump does not win by a landslide...it is all over for law and order...the Dem vice-presidential candidate has said the mayhem will go on even after the elections...

 

Who would have imagined?

6 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

If Trump does not win by a landslide...it is all over for law and order..

So why can't he control it now, what's he waiting for? He is, after all "Your President of Law and Order!"......his words, not mine! 

18 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

It is  just  sad to see how the USA  is imploding.

It sure is and every time there is an election it seems to get worse.

Time to overhaul this stupid two party system where people are forced to choose between

only two candidates.

A lot of people has no choice but to choose the candidate who they think will do the least

damage to their country.

Sad times indeed.

 

 

1 minute ago, jvs said:

It sure is and every time there is an election it seems to get worse.

Time to overhaul this stupid two party system where people are forced to choose between

only two candidates.

A lot of people has no choice but to choose the candidate who they think will do the least

damage to their country.

Sad times indeed.

 

 

 

The thing is that it is only going terribly wrong for a handful of people.

What a complete and utter snowflake.....a few protestors shouting at him and he is in tears demanding an FBI probe......what a pathetic, weak individual.

 

Grow a pair and start being concerned about the police shooting unarmed (black) people.

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

...Lucky the police haven't been totally defunded and were there to protect the couple from the leftist mob. ...

Still haven't quite figured out what "defunding" actually means, have you?

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Because I read the OP, and find Rand Paul a credible source. An interesting side effect of this recent violence is Rep Jim Banks introducing a bill that will strip these protesters that burn, loot and cause violence of their benefits. This is a great move, to reintroduce the concept of personal responsibility.

https://banks.house.gov/uploadedfiles/peaceful_protest_act.pdf

Still haven't figured out the difference between protestors and rioters, have you?

Starting to see a pattern here.

8 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

The thing is that it is only going terribly wrong for a handful of people.

There is the problem,a lot of people are failing to recognize that a thing like this is bad for the whole of the country.