From Chasing A Bus To Blocking Roads, Trump-Supported Caravans Wreak Havoc Ahead Of Election

Topline

Groups of Trump supporters in pickup trucks and other vehicles, known as “Trump Trains,” have become increasingly disorderly in recent days as election day approaches, fueling concerns that a contested or fraught election may increase incidents of protest or chaos.

Key Facts

Chief Critic

“The words of a president matter. And time and time again, Donald Trump has callously used his to incite violence, stoke the flames of hatred and division, and drive us further apart,” Democratic candidate Joe Biden tweeted Saturday after Trump praised the caravan. “It’s time for it to end.”

Key Background

The Trump Train incidents, mostly organized by local pro-Trump groups, have sprung up amid widespread fears over the possibility of violence in the aftermath of election day, especially in the instance of an unclear result. Across the country, police have been gearing up to quell civil unrest, shopkeepers have been boarding up their stores and Walmart even halted its sale of guns (though it later reversed that decision).

Big Number

75%. That’s the share of likely voters in a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Thursday who said they are somewhat or very concerned about violence around the election, while only 23% said they are “very confident” the U.S. will have a peaceful transition of power if Democratic candidate Joe Biden emerges victorious. 69% said divisions in the U.S. are deeper than they were in the past.

Crucial Quote

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told Forbes in a statement, “The buildings that are boarded up in DC and in cities across America are not being fortified to protect them from Trump supporters, but from the radical leftists who want Joe Biden to win.”

Surprising Fact

Shortly before the Trump Train incident in Texas – which happened the same day Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris visited the state – Donald Trump Jr. put out a video encouraging supporters to “get together, head down to McAllen and give Kamala Harris a nice Trump Train welcome” to “show them how strong Texas still is as Trump country.”