Earnest: ‘Not Particularly Surprising’ Trump Would ‘Condone Violence’ Against Protester

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest reacted today to Donald Trump‘s comments about his supporters roughing up a protester and wasn’t too surprised.

Over the weekend, a #BlackLivesMatter protester tried to disrupt a Trump campaign event and Trump supporters ended up brawling with him. The protester said it was like a lynch mob, and Trump himself reacted by saying, “Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.”

Earnest was asked at today’s presser about Trump telling the protester to get out and whether candidates should be starting a dialogue with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

“This is not a departure from Mr. Trump’s habits,” Earnest said. “He’s previously had reporters asking him tough questions removed from the room, and so the fact that he might condone violence against a protester is not particularly surprising to me.”

Watch above, via C-SPAN.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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