By DOUG IBENDAHL • March 12, 2016
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The violent mob action in Chicago Friday night really wasn’t even about Donald Trump. Not exactly.
Trump just happens to be seen right now as the Republican most likely to win the White House. That simply makes him the obvious vehicle around which some brutish Marxists (most of whom are Bernie Sanders supporters) are organizing their suppression of free speech and strong-armed intimidation.
But the simple fact is the violent thugs I watched in action Friday night at Trump’s event at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) are going to target ANYONE they believe is an obstacle to their obsession with selfish entitlement, bizarre vision of a socialist utopia - and “free” stuff.
That’s why Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich are especially reprehensible when their first kneejerk reaction includes pointing fingers at Donald Trump. Yes Trump is the bad guy because how dare he hold free enormous rallies across America and allow hooligans to take advantage of his hospitality at venues which Trump has paid thousands of dollars to rent.
Cruz, Rubio and Kasich have proven they aren’t honest men – but if they were they would admit that if Trump was out and any of them became the presumptive nominee (God forbid), it would be their turn in the crosshairs.
All three are whistling past the graveyard in one last selfish attempt to smear-up Trump and save their own failing campaigns.
But Cruz, Rubio and Kasich only further reveal what lousy politicians they truly are. By providing aid-and-comfort to these violent hate groups instead of standing with Trump and the First Amendment, the three also-rans have officially disqualified themselves from holding any public office.
I had been inside the arena for well over an hour by the time the rally was cancelled about half-an-hour past its scheduled start time of 6 PM.
The UIC Pavilion was nearly filled by then. While a few empty seats remained, there were still thousands outside waiting to get in. Plus many were choosing to stand on the floor in front of the podium instead of sitting. If there were 6,000 people already inside, I would estimate around 1,000 were viciously anti-Trump.
And make no mistake, many of the Trump haters weren’t “protesters” in the sense most people would understand that term. In truth they were thugs who crashed the event for the specific purpose of inciting violence and preventing Trump from holding his rally.
Moral equivalence is something a predominantly lazy American press revels in. Such stories are easy to write. But honest people know that some Trump-supporting old coot who throws an elbow at a protester police are escorting out of an event in North Carolina, is not comparable to a highly organized effort to stack an opponent’s political rally with violent thugs in Chicago.
Every political campaign is going to attract some bad apples. Trump’s campaign this year is no exception. But Trump always makes it clear he has no use for such people. And in fact Trump’s entire working life is proof that he’s only interested in surrounding himself with the best people.
The articles I’ve read where reporters refer to the two sides “clashing” Friday night is a good example of the horribly biased “journalism” that’s out there.
Every Trump supporter I met Friday night was a genuinely decent person. Many had driven a lot of miles to see their candidate, and several told me it was the first time they had ever attended a political event of any kind. That’s one thing I love about these Trump events. It’s mostly new, fresh faces and not the same old Illinois political crowd you see over-and-over-again for other candidates.
After the announcement went over the public address system that the event was being postponed, the arena went wild with the Trump haters celebrating. The preceding two hours had seen sporadic demonstrations and a few people escorted out by police. But now it was true pandemonium.
There was continued loud chanting of “Bernie! Bernie!” “Feel the Bern!” and “We stopped Trump!”
Meanwhile ruffians continued to circle the floor of the arena ripping-up Trump signs, flipping-off the crowd, making other vulgar gestures, and shouting obscenities. The more aggressive thugs tried to instigate fights by pushing, shoving, and throwing punches. I did not personally witness a single Trump supporter taking the bait and engaging physically.
I felt especially bad for the veterans who came to see the candidate who has been such an outspoken champion for our American heroes. Earlier I had observed an elderly man slowly making his way up the arena’s steps. He clearly had a bad leg but was too proud to accept any assistance. He wore a cap which I assumed identified the Navy ship he had served on decades prior.
What went through that man’s mind as young punks shouted obscenities at him and gave him the middle finger? Is this why he served and sacrificed for his country?
And then there was the young couple who had brought their two small children. The whole crew came to Chicago and were looking forward to a fun family event with the first candidate who had ever truly inspired them.
Trust me, when the thugs really got going, that couple wasn’t thinking of “clashing” with anyone. I could see the fear in their eyes. They were only thinking about how they were going to get their kids back to the car and safely through a gauntlet of violent hate mongers screaming in their faces things like “F#@k Trump!” and “Go home racists!”
Those were a couple of the classier communications I personally had screamed at me both inside and outside of the arena.
It is my sincere hope that most voters in the remaining Republican primaries will choose to stand with Donald Trump and the First Amendment while rejecting the violent Chicago hate groups and their strong-arm intimidation tactics.
The Chicago thugs won a single big battle on Friday night as they successfully intimidated Cruz, Rubio and Kasich into joining their side. But it’s not a big surprise to see those three displaying more cowardice.
Cruz, Rubio and Kasich should be deemed finished in politics. They couldn’t waive the flag of surrender fast enough and raced to seek refuge behind the liberal media’s false narrative.
I’m truly embarrassed for them when I remember the young girl I saw Friday night who did not flinch as she bravely endured a barrage of hate speech and obscenities as she walked with her parents through the angry mob
The thugs and the haters only win the war if decent Americans abandon Donald Trump as he is now officially the only presidential candidate in either party with the courage to stand-up for what is right.
I could not have been more proud of our future President – and his supporters - Friday night.
Doug Ibendahl is a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party.
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