Man who stormed into rally press area after Trump bashed media will face charges, police say

Police said Saturday that a man will face misdemeanor charges after he stormed into the press area at Donald Trump’s rally in Johnstown, Pa., before being subdued with a Taser as the former president spoke.

The incident Friday came moments after Trump criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage, singling out CNN for its interview Thursday with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.

It was not immediately clear what motivated the man. He made it over a barrier ringing the media area and began climbing a riser where television reporters and cameras were stationed, according to a video of the incident posted to social media by a reporter for CBS News. People near the man tried to pull him off the riser and were quickly joined by law enforcement.

The crowd cheered as a pack of police led the man away, prompting Trump to say, “Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?”

Johnstown’s police chief, Richard M. Pritchard, confirmed Saturday that the man was arrested, released and will be formally charged next week. Pritchard said the man, whose identity will be disclosed when charges are filed, will face misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disrupting a public assembly. Pritchard declined to speculate on the man’s motives.

Fierce criticism of the media is a standard part of Trump’s rally speeches, and his supporters often turn toward the press section and boo; some gesture with their middle fingers.

Moments before the man ventured into the media’s designated section, Trump called the media the “enemy of the people.” Video of the incident does not make clear what the man was yelling.

Trump’s campaign tried to distance the former president from the man and his actions, suggesting he was a Trump opponent.

“Witnesses, including some in the press corps, described a crazed individual shouting expletives at President Trump,” said campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez. She did not identify the witnesses she cited or expound on what the man may have shouted.