President Trump faced many clashes during a rally in Clemson, S.C., on Wednesday night. He traveled there to boost Senator Darline Graham as the Nov. 3 elections draw near. Protesters interrupted the event, and the president’s fans responded with aggression, showing the deep political divide currently felt across the country.
Mr. Trump is barnstorming across conservative America this week to shore up support for Republican candidates in unexpectedly competitive races.
More than half a dozen clashes between rallygoers and protesters interrupted President Trump at an appearance in Clemson, S.C., on Wednesday night, where he had traveled to boost the campaign of Senator Darline Graham.
It was not the first Trump rally in recent days marred by protests. But the drumbeat of outbursts, followed by angry reactions by the president and his supporters, showed the deep political divide in the country as the Nov. 3 elections draw near.
Mr. Trump is in the midst of a six-day barnstorm across some the country's most conservative states, seeking to shore up support among his fans at a time when Republicans are increasingly pessimistic about whether they can retain control of Congress.
South Carolina is among a raft of traditionally Republican strongholds that have become battlegrounds this cycle. Polling in these places shows that Mr. Trump's policies on tariffs and the war in Iran -- and their effect on the prices of gas, diesel and groceries for everyday Americans -- have threatened the party's fortunes.
The clashes on Wednesday between protesters, who interrupted Mr. Trump with screams and expletives, and rallygoers who responded with similar aggression, underscored how much is at stake in these midterms for a deeply polarized electorate.
One after the next, security officers escorted the protesters out of the arena, while the president's fans whooped, jeered and chanted "U.S.A." Mr. Trump did little to de-escalate the atmosphere.
Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.