Black Students Removed From Trump Rally


A group numbering about 30 black students was removed by law enforcement from a Valdosta State University Trump rally.

The group of students comes as one of the largest groups to be escorted out of a Trump rally during his campaign. Some outlets report that the Trump campaign specifically requested that the students be escorted out of the Valdosta, Georgia rally. Secret Service spokeswoman Hope Hicks denies this.

“There is absolutely zero truth to that,” she said. “The campaign had no knowledge of this incident.”

A Secret Service agent said the protesters were “asked to leave by the host committee and local law enforcement.” He continued, saying:

“We do not escort protesters [or] disruptors out of events. [It’s] not a Secret Service function and [campaign] staff knows that.”

Though the students were not escorted by the Secret Service, one agent supervised their removal.

“If a group at an event protests,” said Kevin Dye, Secret Service spokesman, “it does not become an issue with the United States Secret Service unless our protectee is threatened.”

They do not actively remove protesters, he said. They simply oversee their removal.

“We didn’t plan to do anything,” said Tahjila Davis, a 19-year-old student among those removed. “They said, ‘This is Trump’s property. It’s a private event.’ But I paid my tuition to be here.”

“The only reason we were given was that Mr. Trump did not want us there,” said fellow student Brooke Gladney.

The students report standing silently in the bleachers before being escorted out.

Another student reports believing they were removed simply because they were a group of black individuals.

The incident occurred only hours after Time Magazine photographer Chris Morris reported being choked by a Secret Service agent at a similar rally. Only a day before, Trump refused to disavow former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke.

Featured image via Flikr by Matt Johnson