A BBC correspondent shared on social media a video of his colleague being attacked at President Donald Trump’s rally in El Paso, Texas, Monday night, laying blame with the increasingly anti-press rhetoric the president spouts at his public appearances, including at this one.
Around the time Trump told the crowd that a wall at the southern U.S. border would cut down on violent crime in the U.S., cameraman Ron Skeans was violently shoved by a Trump supporter wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. The attacker was filmed shouting, “Fuck the media!” as he stormed the press area.
Correspondent Gary O’Donoghue shared footage of the attack, saying it followed Trump’s “goading” of the crowd against journalists and others he considers opponents.
This is the shameful moment when my cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked at an @realDonaldTrump rally in El Paso last night – warning this video contains strong language. Happily Ron is fine. #TrumpElPaso pic.twitter.com/Ay5DYT6gjP
— Gary O’Donoghue (@BBCBlindGazza) February 12, 2019
Security now removed Trump crowd member who pushed and shoved my cameraman – having jumped onto the Media platform here in El Paso – pretestor tried to smash our camera – follows multiple attacks on the media by the President and previous speakers – it’s shameful
— Gary O’Donoghue (@BBCBlindGazza) February 12, 2019
BBC producer Eleanor Montague described the crowd as having been “whipped into a frenzy” by Trump and other speakers, with the president slamming the media as “dishonest” and leading a chant of “CNN sucks!”
Just attended my first @realDonaldTrump rally where my colleague BBC cameraman Rob Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter. The crowd had been whipped up into a frenzy against the media by Trump and other speakers all night #TrumpElPaso pic.twitter.com/Oiw8osPms3
— Eleanor Montague (@EleanorMontague) February 12, 2019
The rhetoric was a continuation of Trump’s repeated attacks on the press, which he has denounced as the “enemy of the people” and whose right to report on his administration he has threatened to try to revoke.
Following the attack, the crowd began chanting, “Let him go!” as the man who assaulted Skeans was restrained and led away.
And the crowd, who rages against any perceived violence or harassment of someone on “their side”, shouts “let him go!” at the thug who attacked an innocent cameraman. Something really bad is going to happen at one of these rallies someday , & Trump will still blame the media.
— LongmontResponds (@LongmontRespnds) February 12, 2019
On Twitter, BBC Americas bureau chief Paul Danahar condemned the attack on Skeans, warning that the aggressive shoving of a cameraman could be a preview of far more dangerous assaults at Trump rallies if the president doesn’t loudly and unequivocally denounce the violence.
The attack on my colleague at President Trump’s El Paso rally was aggressive & unpleasant but not life threatening. However I fear it was a step towards something much worse eventually happening to a journalist if the vilification of the media doesn’t stop https://t.co/MFA3O1dQDc
— Paul Danahar (@pdanahar) February 12, 2019
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