Donald Trump Rally In Cincinnati Canceled, Candidate’s Supporters Say ‘Civil War’ Declared
Update: Trump’s campaign secured the Savannah Center in West Chester and held a town hall meeting instead of the scheduled rally at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati.
As the dust settled following the cancellation of a raucous Donald Trump rally in Chicago, the candidate’s camp also announced that an event in Ohio is on hold for the time being as well. The billionaire and aspiring Chief Executive was scheduled to appear at a rally in Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon, but a representative for Trump’s campaign says that it’s a no-go for now due to some deficiencies in venue security.
According to Cincinnati.com, Trump spokesman Eric Deters told media outlets that the Secret Service was unable to prepare the Duke Energy Convention Center in time for the event. In comments to Cincy radio station WVXU, he said there were “some problems” with the facility. Deters added that he is optimistic that an alternate location can be found in time to hold a rally in the near future. Although Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate WLWT reports that Trump supporters are attempting to secure a venue in the community of West Chester, the Trump campaign has not offered any confirmation that an appearance there is in the works.
Deters, who is the chairperson of Donald Trump’s campaign in Northern Kentucky, is a controversial attorney in the region. In 2015, he received his second suspension from the Kentucky Supreme Court for ethical violations, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. Earlier this year, Deters’ firm was named in an investigation over improper access of government files, as noted by Cincinnati.com.
The Ohio primary is a key contest for candidates like the GOP’s number-two contender Ted Cruz and John Kasich who needs to win in his home state to continue in his campaign. And while it’s a safe bet that Donald Trump would appreciate landing all of the Buckeye State’s 66 delegates, he does not exactly need them to retain his decisive lead over his competition. The real estate mogul is anticipating a strong showing in the Sunshine State, which has an even higher delegate count than Ohio. At present, Trump leads Florida Senator Marco Rubio in pre-election polls according to Real Clear Politics.
Despite a consistent command over his field of Republican opponents, some so-called “establishment” Republicans fear that Donald Trump’s campaign trail rhetoric might ultimately taint his appeal with voters by the time voters head to the polls in the November election. Marco Rubio is now encouraging his supporters in Ohio to vote for John Kasich in that state’s primary, as Kasich ostensibly has the best chance at defeating Trump in that Midwestern battleground. As previously noted by the Inquisitr, “old guard” Republicans, including John Sununu and Mitt Romney, are getting behind a burgeoning “Anybody But Trump” movement that seeks to deny the candidate his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention this summer.
Donald Trump’s rhetoric continues to resonate with an emotionally charged base of supporters, though. In the wake of the chaotic demise of his Chicago rally, Trump’s supporters took to social media to condemn the candidate’s increasingly vocal opposition. One Twitter account that identifies as a “rally account” for the Trump campaign proclaimed that the events in Chicago were a declaration of “civil war” by the “radical left” of America.
Today the radical left declared a civil war on America. They want to kill us. Be prepared! #TrumpRally
— Donald J. Trump (@TRUMPforAMERlCA) March 12, 2016
Other Trump supporters expressed similar sentiments, bluntly criticizing protesters for their actions on Friday night.
The free speech deniers at the #TrumpRally have been directed to pick up their participation trophies at Rahm Emanual’s home.
— CONSERVATIVE (@ChristiChat) March 12, 2016
Liberals have to suppress free speech because their bankrupt ideology relies on the censorship of opposing views to survive#TrumpRally
— Jared Wyand (@JaredWyand) March 12, 2016
Trump himself expressed some degree of concern at the outcome of his Chicago event, according to CNN. GOP opponents Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio also took the opportunity to cite Trump’s tone and previous remarks as the precursor to the recent spate of violence at campaign events.
Marco Rubio to @donlemon on #TrumpRally: “There are consequences to words” https://t.co/xWrZmj4akA https://t.co/OFk6bqMc6z
— CNN (@CNN) March 12, 2016
Ted Cruz on #TrumpRally chaos: “In any campaign, responsibility starts at the top” https://t.co/hssgzzVLJF https://t.co/Nvu34capzV
— CNN (@CNN) March 12, 2016
Irrespective of whether or not Donald Trump ultimately makes it to the Cincinnati area, the candidate is still expected to continue holding events in the state leading up to the Ohio primary, with rallies scheduled in Dayton and Columbus.
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
