Sarasota, FL – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday reframed his claim that he saw Muslims in Jersey City, New Jersey, cheering the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001 by asserting the sentiment was shared worldwide.
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“Worldwide, the Muslims were absolutely going wild,” the real estate mogul said at a campaign rally in Sarasota, Florida.
Trump came under fire a week ago for saying at another rally and in a nationally televised appearance that he watched thousands of people in Jersey City cheer the World Trade Center’s implosion. Fact checkers debunked his claim.
Still, the race ahead of the November 2016 presidential election has taken a sharp turn toward focusing on terrorism in the aftermath of the attacks in Paris two weeks ago. Trump has been among the most vocal of the Republican candidates in raising skepticism about Muslims living in the United States. When prompted by a reporter, he said he would not oppose creating a national database that tracks Muslims in the country.
The controversial remarks may be taking a toll on Trump, who has seen his support in Reuters/Ipsos opinion polling of Republican voters nationally take a sharp downturn in the past week. In the past five days, he dropped 12 points from 43 percent to 31 percent, although he continues to hold a wide lead over his competitors.
Trump used ample time in his remarks to point out how far ahead he is in opinion polling in many states, and he defended his recent commentary.
To back up his claims of seeing spectators celebrate 9/11, this week Trump cited a 2001 Washington Post article that mentioned authorities detaining a number of people in Jersey City who had allegedly celebrated the attack on rooftops with views of the site. The article was written by Serge Kovaleski, who has a disability and now writes for the New York Times.
The Post article did not say the authorities’ allegations had been corroborated and Kovaleski has said in interviews since Trump cited his article that he has no recollection of his reporting producing evidence of hundreds or thousands of people celebrating.
In his speech, Trump sought to distance himself from appearing to have mocked the reporter during an event Tuesday night.
“I would never mock a person that has a disability,” Trump told the cheering crowd. “I’m telling you, I would never do it.”
With reports mounting of Trump’s rallies growing rough, the candidate urged his audience to be polite to a heckler who briefly brought the Sarasota event to a halt.
“Be nice to the person. Don’t hurt the person,” he instructed the crowd, which cheered him loudly when he told security personnel to escort the heckler from the room. “Do you see how diplomatic I’ve become?”
At teh event Trump also bragged about his high standing in the polls, slammed super political action committees and dismissed rivals Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush in a campaign stop Saturday in their home state of Florida.
Speaking before thousands who jammed into the Robarts Arena in Sarasota, Trump said he’s “killing everybody” in polls nationally and in early voting states.
He called super PACS “a scam” because the millions of dollars raised are going to high-priced consultants and advisers, and are making candidates beholden to big donors.
He criticized Rubio, Florida’s junior senator, as “weak” on illegal immigration and said his constituents should be angry with him because Rubio has missed so many Senate votes.
“I’m leading in Florida against a sitting senator,” Trump boasted.
The crowd roared and chanted “Trump, Trump, Trump.”
The billionaire businessman said he doesn’t even talk about Bush anymore because the former Florida governor is struggling to gain his footing in the polls. But he called Bush’s support for Common Core education standards unacceptable.
“Common Core — out,” Trump said, if he’s elected.
So many people lined up to hear Trump that he held a second rally outside for about 1,000 people who could not get into the arena. He then departed in the Trump helicopter.
Asked why he supports Trump, Justo Lopez said he wanted “to get rid of the establishment and elect a real Republican.”
Others were curious to learn more.
“I had never heard him speak in public before and wanted to hear what he had to say,” said Lenny Fike, of Bradenton, who says he’s undecided but leaning toward Trump.
But Fike, a Republican, said he would not vote for Trump if he chooses to run as an independent candidate.
“I just don’t want to see another Democrat in the White House,” he said.
Not everyone was a Trump fan.
A couple dozen demonstrators gathered in front of the arena to denounce Trump.
“We reject his racist message and the other Republicans need to reject it, too,” said Junior Salazar, who led demonstrators chanting “dump Trump.
Well I saw them cheering …on Mcdondald Ave..Bet Church Ave and Ave C Brooklyn N.Y…other aquaintence of mine saw in different neighborhoods
“Thousands of Muslims in Jersey City,” that is what he said. He can prove it or he can apologize.
finally Trump, a lover of Jewish values and an Ohev Yisroel in general is getting the support he deserves. The notion that he cannot beat Hillary is just the cry baby sentiment of old school republicans who are too conservative to support a maverick that speaks his mind – rather than just tows the party line. Trump can and will beat Hillary – and may be the only one who can. He will call her out on every liberal position she has and she will look ridiculous defending those positions.
All of his lies–and the more lies the better– are resonating with simple minded and disenfranchised voters who find his words validate all of their racist stereotypes. What we really need is a national registry of all the mindless and hateful voters who support a Trump candidacy.
It was carried on 60 minutes. On a Subday night during about October or November 2001. It showed only hundreds cheering not a thousand. The cheering I recall was in Paterson NJ Also they interviewed a Moslem women who “justified” their animal conduct saying the USA supplies Israel with weapons. Mr Trump you got my vote.
90% of Mass mureder in the USA is commited by White Christians. Time to tell the Truth and Deport them to Mexico. Trump, Carson, Cruz are the same white Cristians who commit all this murder. They should be expelled from the USA. Lets don’t forget the the Christians murdereed 100 times more Yiden in the name of their religion than the Muslims. Spain,Russia, Poland, Germany and now the USA.