Courage at a Trump Rally

Earlier this week, a protester was thrown out of a Trump rally in North Augusta, South Carolina. Let's take a look at the headlines.

Trump Gives Rallier Hero's Welcome After Taking Protester's Sign  ABC News

And here's the "liberal" MSNBC headline for their coverage.

Veteran removes protestor from rally, called on-stage by Trump  MSNBC

Trump Brings Supporters Who Took Action Against Protesters On Stage  The Daily Caller

Sounds like some people stepped up to a disruptive influence. So what happened? Here's the ABC News version of events.

The protester was holding a sign with a pro-immigration message. Witnesses said Black tore the sign away, and that the protester took a swing at him. While the sign was ripped to shreds by the crowd, the two men grappled with each other until an off-duty sheriff’s deputy stepped in, the deputy said.

Law enforcement said the protester remained peaceful as he was led outside, though held up his middle fingers as he left. No one was injured or charged.

"Who is the person that took action over there? Come here," asked Trump.

In front of the crowd of 1,500, Black gave Trump a spontaneous endorsement.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you, Donald, I kinda was a little iffy,” he admitted, before declaring "you’re the best we got by far.”

Trump also invited on stage the off-duty sheriff's deputy who broke up the scuffle. He later identified himself as Thomas Andrews, of neighboring Richmond County in Georgia.

“I got two tours of Iraq,” Andrews said into the microphone to a loud ovation. “If it wasn’t for Mr. Trump right here, I don’t think any of us [veterans] would have the voice that we have.”

Andrews, who retired after eight years in the Navy, told ABC News “It was pretty cool. I’ve never been to a presidential rally. I wasn’t expecting anything like that, that’s for damn sure.

 Then from the Daily Caller:

Later Trump said, “I love it, I love people with courage, I mean courage. Sometimes you’ll go, and we’ll go and stuff like that will go on for a whole entire time, but I just respect those two guys a lot so I want to thank you fellows. Amazing, really amazing.”

So let's meet this protester, the one it took "courage" to confront.

The protester, the man in the black hoodie, is HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, Thomas Hill.

“I have so many friends who are immigrants here, and I’m Puerto Rican,” the 18-year-old told ThinkProgress. “Trump’s policies about immigrants are really scary. I have always said that if you have a problem with something you should exercise your right to protest, so I thought I needed to practice what I preach, and let [Trump] know that people do oppose him.”

Armed with only a homemade sign reading, “Keep America Great, Keep All Immigrants,” Hill joined hundreds of others at Trump’s rally in North Augusta, South Carolina on Tuesday.

... 

“I held my poster up for about five minutes before someone came behind me and ripped it out of my hands,” Hill told ThinkProgress. “When I attempted to put what was left of the poster up in the air, he pulled my arm, then grabbed my hoodie and started to choke me with it. I pulled him in towards me just to prevent him from choking me.”

Let's recount. A high school student holding up a sign that said, "Keep America Great, Keep All Immigrants" was so threatening that one of Trump's supporters assaulted him. Then another supporter joined the assault and held the HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT until security could take him outside. That's when Hill, upset at the assault, the cheering of the crowd, and Trump's approval of the assault, gave them the dreaded "double finger". The Horror.

And for that, Trump praised the "courage" of these two adults (one a veteran) for what? Attacking a teenager? Putting down the First Amendment? Once again bringing to the forefront the undercurrent of fascism that pervades Trump rallies? Truly amazing.

There was only one person showing "courage" at that rally. His name was Thomas Hill.