He won't distance himself from violent Redhats. He respects them.

He won't distance himself from violent Redhats. He respects them.

by digby



People keep saying that Trump should simply say that he doesn't want the support of racists and anti-Semites and that anyone who commits a violent act against his opponents is not a supporter of his.

The problem is that he doesn't believe that. He likes these extremist criminals.

Remember this from the campaign?

Asked what motivated the alleged attack, Scott Leader — who was convicted of a hate crime and jailed for a year in the assault of a Moroccan man shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks — name-checked the Republican front-runner.

“Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported,” Scott Leader, 38, allegedly told the police. The Leaders pleaded not guilty to multiple assault charges with a dangerous weapon, indecent exposure and making threats.

Trump was asked about the alleged assault at a news conference on Wednesday.

“I haven’t heard about that,” Trump said. “It would be a shame, but I haven’t heard about that.”

He then added: “I will say that people who are following me are very passionate. They love this country and they want this country to be great again. They are passionate. I will say that, and everybody here has reported it.”

He gets them and they get him.

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