Overview
- A woman being led out by law enforcement at President Trump's Syracuse rally on Friday turned back and flashed both middle fingers at him, live footage and multiple reports showed.
- Trump responded onstage by calling protesters “paid” and saying “they’re all paid by the radical left scum,” repeating a claim he has used at other recent stops.
- Audience members jeered inside the Oncenter Convention Center and protesters gathered outside, where student journalists posted video of chants such as “Donald Trump has got to go!”
- Pre-rally reporting by The Post-Standard showed limited planned attendance by local Republican leaders, with only four of 16 saying they would attend the event.
- The Syracuse episode follows a string of disruptions at Trump events, raises fresh questions about security at rallies, and could complicate messaging for Bruce Blakeman’s campaign in upstate New York.