President Trump on Tuesday told rally-goers in North Carolina that if Democrat Joe Biden defeats him, “rioters” who harass restaurant diners would run the country.
“Next time you see video of screaming far-left maniacs shouting wildly at peaceful Americans, remember this, these are Biden’s supporters, and if he wins they will be in charge of your government,” Trump told a crowd in Winston-Salem.
It was one of Trump’s largest re-election rallies since the coronavirus pandemic struck in March. He estimated turnout at 15,000 and the campaign distributed rally signs claiming the event was a peaceful protest.
“Joe Biden and his party spent the entire summer cheering on the rioters rampaging through Democrat-run cities, falsely labeling them as peaceful protesters,” Trump said.
“You can’t go to church, you can’t do anything, you have to stay in your house. But if you’re willing to riot running down Main Street, if you’re willing to riot, stand on top of each other’s face and do whatever the hell you want to do, you’re allowed to do that because you’re considered a peaceful protester — so we decided to call our rallies peaceful protests.”
Trump repeatedly evoked jarring imagery of unwitting restaurant diners being confronted by enraged protesters.
“If they win, the mobs win. You see these guys that go around saying, ‘Yeah, I want your meal. Give me that food. Give me.’ A woman sitting there, she wants to eat, and they come they grab her food, they grab her drink. Nobody’s ever seen stuff like this,” Trump said. “If Biden wins the rioters, anarchists and arsonists win.”