Donald Trump quickly rebuffed a reporter who asked him if he should tell his supporters that there should be “no violence” on Election Day.
The question occurred to the former president shortly after casting his vote in Florida with his wife, former first lady Melania Trump.
“Will you tell your followers that there should be no violence?” a journalist was heard asking the Republican presidential candidate.
Trump, wearing his trademark red “Make America Great Again” cap, immediately responded: “My supporters are not violent people.” “I don’t have to tell them that and they certainly don’t want violence.”
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump, accompanied by former US First Lady Melania Trump, speaks to reporters while voting at the Mandel Recreation Center on Election Day in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on 5 November 2024. Trump was asked if he will tell his followers not to be violent, to which he responded that they don’t need to be told.
The former president, who has been criticized for years for how MAGA supporters acted on January 6, 2021 when a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, seemed upset with the question.
The attack notably came after a Trump rally where attendees were posed with theories about how the Republican actually won the 2020 election despite results affirming President Joe Biden’s victory.
Many of those who participated that day have received prison sentences for defacing the center of Congress.
Trump didn’t seem to like the question that apparently incriminated his fans.
“These are great people,” Trump continued sternly, adding that he “certainly” doesn’t have to tell them to act civilized.
Trump was clearly offended by the implication that MAGA voters are thugs or cruel.
Trump and Melania after voting on Election Day
The couple answered questions in what appeared to be a school gym.
Melania hardly spoke, but she did say that she feels very good about the election
“These are people who don’t believe in violence, unlike your question,” he replied.
“You believe in violence,” he later accused the journalist.
During his appearance at the polling place, Trump admitted that he felt “confident” that he will win the race.
He addressed reporters after casting his vote in Palm Beach, Florida, even as polls show the race favoring him and Kamala Harris is virtually tied.
The 78-year-old was accompanied by his wife Melania, who kept her sunglasses on while her husband answered journalists’ questions just hours before polls closed in what would be one of the closest elections in history. .
The former first lady responded to a brief question about how she was feeling: “Very good.” Thank you.’
The press lined up to ask Trump questions after his vote at a local polling station.
He argued that if more Republicans voted than Democrats, he should be declared the winner. There is no way to know whether Republicans voted for him or an alternative.
‘It seems we have a very substantial advantage. It seems that today we have many more Republicans voting than Democrats. If you have a lead and we have a bigger vote, that means you’re doing very well. They have to call a winner. And they should announce a winner, yes,’ he said.
But he said he would concede if he lost a “fair” election.
‘If they are a fair election, I would be the first to admit it if I lost. And so far I think it’s been fair,” he said.
Trump, during the election campaign, has indicated that he does not trust the voting process and could challenge the results if Harris wins.
“I ran a great campaign. I think it was perhaps the best of the three. We did very well in the first, much better in the second. Something happened. And this was the best, I would say it was the best campaign we did,” he said.