A convoy of pickup trucks bearing US and MAGA flags has surrounded a Biden-Harris bus in Texas. While President Trump praised the stunt, Democrats decried it as “dangerous harassment” that forced them to cancel campaign events.
At one point, a black pickup is shown pushing a white sport-utility vehicle that was straddling two lanes out from behind the bus. Eric Cervini, an author who said he traveled to Texas to participate in a driving tour in support of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, said trucks lined up along Interstate 35 between San Antonio and Austin Friday to “ambush” the Biden-Harris bus, which they surrounded and tried to force off the road.
This is violence, hitting people with cars is violence. All Republicans need to denounce this political violence pic.twitter.com/BdQs8tuf97
The bus tour involved a group of Texas Democrats and was meant to “drum up enthusiasm” at polling sites. Cervini said the tour had to be canceled for safety reasons. He said he flagged down a police officer, who declined to help, saying the matter was not his “jurisdiction.”
I flew down to Texas to help with the Biden/Harris bus tour, intended to drum up enthusiasm at polling locations. Instead, I ended up spending the afternoon calling 911. 1/ pic.twitter.com/gKAjv7gv85
Video shot from another angle shows a different view of the convoy with more than a dozen trucks escorting the Democrat bus up the highway. A blogger who goes by the Twitter account name “L” called the long line of trucks “the most badass thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
This is the most badass thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Go Texas. pic.twitter.com/dnr8Ns9qe0
President Donald Trump himself was impressed by this show of support, retweeting the video and saying “I LOVE TEXAS!” – only to draw more criticism for embracing this “tactics of fear and intimidation.”
I LOVE TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/EP7P3AvE8L
Democrat state Representative Rafael Anchia called the group “armed Trump trolls” and accused them of “ramming volunteer vehicles and blocking traffic for 40 minutes.” Travis County Democratic Party Chairwoman Katie Naranjo said the Trump supporters followed the Biden bus throughout central Texas and yelled curse words and threats.
This is a 1st for me – but we just cancelled a joint event in Pflugerville w/ @JoeBiden campaign, @AustinYoungDems, & more, due to security reasons. Unfortunately, Pro-Trump Protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits. Sorry to all who looked forward to this fun event. https://t.co/tSq4moqro0
Another video posted of the convoy indicated that there were about 100 vehicles in the pro-Trump group. A video by Austin television reporter Jordan Bontke purports to show Trump supporters getting in their trucks to follow the Biden-Harris bus.
A joint event that the Biden campaign and a group called Austin Young Dems planned to hold Friday in Pflugerville, north of Austin, had to be canceled for security reasons, Democrat state Representative Sheryl Cole said. “Unfortunately, pro-Trump protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits,” she added.
As the Biden bus rolled down 11th street toward I-35, Trump supporters scrambled to their trucks to follow it. @cbsaustinpic.twitter.com/idnbDqFU3L
Unruly Trump supporters have been a thorn in the side of the Biden campaign this week. As Biden tried to deliver a speech on Friday at a drive-in rally in Minnesota, Trump backers honked their horns, prompting the Democrat candidate to call them “ugly folks.”
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