The Associated Press reports:
President Trump said he does not know if his supporters will chant “send them back” about four minority lawmakers at a Thursday night rally, but said he prefers they do not. “I prefer that they don’t,” Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for the rally in Cincinnati.
The president initially repudiated the chants after a rally crowd chanted last month in North Carolina, but later backed away from his condemnation. “If they do the chant, we’ll see what happens,” the president said.
All eyes will be watching both the Ohio crowd’s behavior — and how Trump reacts. Even his closest advisers seem uncertain as to what may transpire.
Trump: “If they do the chant, we’ll have to see what happens.”
Q: Will you stop them, sir.
Trump: “I don’t know that you can stop people… I mean, we’ll see what we can do. I’d prefer that they don’t. But if they do it, we’ll have to make a decision then.”
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) August 1, 2019
Pres. Trump on whether he’d try to stop any chants from supporters of “send them back” at tonight’s rally: “I don’t know that you can stop people…We’ll see what we can do. I’d prefer that they don’t. But if they do it, we’ll have to make a decision then” https://t.co/JsAo4rT8TM pic.twitter.com/ViuBmatm6a
— ABC News (@ABC) August 1, 2019