Biden campaign cancels event in Texas after pro-Trump cars surrounded its bus

Jordan Williams
The Hill
Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:52 UTC

© Reuters / Erin Scott / File Photo

The Biden campaign canceled an event in Texas on Friday after it said a caravan of President Trump's supporters surrounded its bus in vehicles to try to "run it off the road."

The former vice president's campaign said cars pulled in front of its bus on Interstate 35 in the Lone Star State as it was en route to Austin from San Antonio, according to The Washington Post.

The campaign said the cars tried to "stop the bus in the middle of the highway," according to the newspaper.

A video posted to Twitter of the incident shows a white truck hitting another car as it follows the Biden campaign closely at the rear of the bus.

While on the road, Biden campaign staffers called 911 to involve police and get safely escorted to their next location, according to the Post.

After the run-in with the pro-Trump drivers, the event was reportedly canceled "out of an abundance of caution" to avoid any chance of unrest.

"Rather than engage in productive conversation about the drastically different visions that Joe Biden and Donald Trump have for our country, Trump supporters in Texas today instead decided to put our staff, surrogates, supporters, and others in harm's way," Tariq Thowfeek, the Biden campaign's communications director in Texas, said in a statement to The Hill.

Following news of the incident, the president appeared to express support for the line of Trump vehicles. He shared a video of what appeared to be the incident on Twitter, writing, "I LOVE TEXAS!"

Texas House Representative Cheryl Cole (D) expressed her dismay at the event's cancellation on Twitter, writing, "Unfortunately, Pro-Trump Protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits. Sorry to all who looked forward to this fun event."

News of the cancellation comes as the race between Trump and Biden has tightened in Texas over the last few weeks.

This week, The Cook Political Report, an election handicapper, moved the presidential race in the state from "lean Republican" to "toss-up." And another poll by the University of Massachusetts Lowell showed the two candidates effectively tied in a state that has been reliably red in years past.

Trump won the state by a 9-point margin over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calf.) campaigned in other parts of Texas on Friday, a signal that the Biden campaign believes the state is in play for Democrats with just days until Nov. 3.

Comment: Apparently the FBI are investigating.

From New York Post:

FBI investigating 'Trump Train' swarming of Biden bus on Texas interstate: report
Laura Italiano November 1, 2020 | 2:04am

The FBI is investigating a "Trump Train" incident from Friday, in which a Biden campaign bus was surrounded by a dozen pickup trucks driven by Trump supporters as it traveled down a Texas interstate, according to a report.

The dangerous, caught-on-video highway confrontation led the Biden campaign and state Democrats to cancel multiple Texas events in the battleground state, the Texas Tribune reported.

There was least one minor collision on the I-35 between a campaign staffer's car and the caravan of trucks full of flag-waving passengers, according to the Tribune.

Those inside the trucks honked their horns and shouted while surrounding the Biden bus and slowing it down, witnesses told the paper.

Still, the incident was celebrated by President Trump, who tweeted one clip of the confrontation along with his praise: "I LOVE TEXAS!"

The FBI's involvement was confirmed to the Tribune by law enforcement sources, the paper said.

...

But Allen West, a spokesperson for the Texas GOP, dismissed questions from the paper as "more fake news and propaganda," in a statement that concluded, "Prepare to lose ... stop bothering me," the Tribune reported.

Texas congressional candidate Wendy Davis was on the Biden bus at the time it was swarmed, the paper reported.

Friday's incident had been promoted in advance online under the hashtag #FollowTheBus, the paper said.

"Trolling is Fun!" one post said. "Join us in #SanAntonio to escort the Biden bus coming through San Antonio," it urged.

"We are on the bridges & will intercept at Walters/I35!!"

In all, some 40-to-50 vehicles participated, local Biden campaign volunteer Eric Cervini told the paper, describing the trucks decorated with Trump and American flags he saw gathered along the side of the interstate.

Trump trolls again: