Youngstown Police Urge Trump Rally Protester Punched in the Face to File a Report So They Can Investigate

Police in Youngstown, Ohio, have urged a woman punched in the face at Donald Trump's rally on Monday, 12 October, to file a report. Officers 'will take a report, absolutely, and fully investigate,' Lieutenant Frank Rutherford told HuffPost on Tuesday. Sheriff's deputies made no arrests.

The woman wore a T-shirt that read 'Release the Epstein Files'. Trump mocked her from the stage. Officers led her out while the apparent assailant remained in the arena. By Tuesday afternoon, no one had filed a complaint, though hers would start an inquiry.

What the Videos Show

Trump was speaking at the Covelli Centre when the woman stood up to show her shirt to the crowd. Television and other videos show an attendee in a cap pushing her down. A balding man then appeared to punch her in the face several times, pull her hair and hold her in a headlock before deputies reached her, NBC News reported. Others in the crowd chanted USA while Mahoning County deputies pulled her out, as the clip below shows.

Trump claimed without evidence that the left was paying protesters like her to destroy the country. He appeared to think she was a man and mocked her weight as she left. 'He's gotta go on a diet,' the president told the crowd. The balding attendee later swapped high-fives with others nearby, Fox News reported. When HuffPost asked why Trump didn't move to stop the attack, the White House did not respond.

Who Handles the Case

Because the arena is in Youngstown, local police and prosecutors would handle any charge. But the city's force did not work the rally. Mayor Derrick McDowell said the sheriff's office and the Secret Service ran security. A sheriff's spokesperson would not tell WFMJ why the men stayed inside but said anyone assaulted there could report it to city police or the prosecutor. Rutherford also asked anyone who knows the woman to have her make a report.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, McDowell called the attack an act of senseless political violence. He also defended city officers, saying they played no part in the response. 'We must learn that we can disagree politically without resorting to violence,' he wrote, according to WFMJ. He asked everyone who comes to the city to treat each other with dignity and respect, regardless of politics. Officials have not named anyone involved.

What Happens if She Files a Report

Under Ohio law, knowingly causing or trying to cause physical harm is assault. Most cases are misdemeanours, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 (about £740). In 2019, a Kentucky man faced an assault charge after he allegedly punched a protester outside a Trump rally in Cincinnati.

Trump was in Ohio to back two Republicans, Senator Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for governor, before the 3 November midterms. The protester's shirt called for the release of more records related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in 2019. Democrats and some Republicans have criticised the Justice Department's handling of the files.