Trump Claims Plane of ‘Thugs’ Threatened Republican Convention

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump is sticking to a claim he made without evidence that a plane loaded with “thugs” was headed for the Republican National Convention last week “to do big damage.”

He initially made the assertion in a Monday interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham and then added to it on Tuesday, telling reporters before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin, that he would refer them to a person who witnessed the incident. He did not identify the witness.

“The person was on a plane and said that there were about six people like that person, more or less, and what happened is the entire plane filled up with looters, the anarchists, the rioters, people who obviously were looking for trouble and the person felt very uncomfortable,” Trump said Tuesday.

The convention concluded Thursday night with Trump’s nomination acceptance speech on the South Lawn of the White House, and he has complained frequently since then about protesters who accosted audience members as they left. Trump initially made the claim about the plane in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham Monday evening, who asked him who he thought was controlling Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

“People you’ve never heard of. People that are in the dark shadows,” Trump responded.

Ingraham said his response sounded like a conspiracy theory.

“No, people you haven’t heard of,” Trump continued. “We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that. They’re on a plane.”

Ingraham asked him where they were coming from.

“I’ll tell you some time but it’s under investigation right now,” Trump said. “But they came from a certain city, and this person was coming to the Republican National Convention and there were like, seven people on the plane like this person, and then a lot of people were on the plane to do big damage. They were coming.”

Ingraham asked if they were headed for Washington.

“This was all, this was all happening,” Trump said. Ingraham asked where they were getting their money.

“The money is coming from some very stupid rich people that have no idea that if their thing ever succeeded, which it won’t, they will be thrown to the wolves like you’ve never seen before,” Trump said.

Ingraham soon went to a commercial break, and when the program returned she asked Trump about women voters.

Spokespeople for the White House and Trump’s campaign said that the president was referring to an investigation of funding behind people who have joined police brutality protests from out-of-state.

“The president is referring to questions that need answers such as who may be funding travel and lodging for organized rioters,” said Sarah Matthews, a White House spokeswoman. “In Kenosha, violent rioters who were arrested hailed from 44 different cities. An investigation is underway to determine who is funding these organized riots happening across the country.”

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