SAN ANTONIO – President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at Freeman Coliseum on Wednesday was repeatedly interrupted by protesters, and Bexar County sheriff’s deputies escorted 18 people out of the venue for disruptive behavior, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said no arrests were made inside the coliseum and that those removed were “simply asked to leave the premises.” Outside the venue, the agency said it did not make any arrests, but two criminal trespass warnings were issued. The sheriff’s office noted the information covered only its actions and said it could not speak for any actions taken by the San Antonio Police Department.
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Rally programming began at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, and Trump delivered remarks at 6 p.m. Speaking to a packed Freeman Coliseum, Trump addressed recent comments in which he appeared to suggest the bombing of an American city would be “a small price to pay” for the war in Iran. He said Wednesday that Iran might try to hit an American city with a missile.
“You want to see problems? Let them hit San Diego, let them in Los Angeles,” Trump said. “We’re not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country.”
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Trump’s message was interrupted repeatedly by protesters, including one who appeared to be close to the stage. In all, at least a dozen demonstrators interrupted the president, and some were led away by sheriff’s deputies.
The event also featured Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and congressional candidate Carlos De La Cruz, who was running in the newly formed 35th District anchored in Bexar County. De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran and brother of Rep. Monica De La Cruz, faced Democrat Johnny Garcia. Trump spent most of his remarks focused on the Texas Senate contest and described Paxton as “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America.”