--- title: Donald Trump Protester Punched and Kicked at Arizona Rally description: A Donald Trump protester was punched in the face and kicked while being escorted out the Republican front-runner’s event in Arizona canonical: https://time.com/4265401/donald-trump-protester-punch-tucson/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-20T14:16:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:44:51.941Z article:section: Politics og:title: Anti-Trump Protester Punched and Kicked at Rally in Arizona og:description: It's the latest in a string of violence at Trump's campaign events og:url: https://time.com/4265401/donald-trump-protester-punch-tucson/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt584bb116b1121c4c/69888baf5f570febceb201dd/trump-rally-protester.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2556 og:image:height: 1438 og:image:alt: APTOPIX GOP 2016 Trump Protest og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Anti-Trump Protester Punched and Kicked at Rally in Arizona twitter:description: It's the latest in a string of violence at Trump's campaign events twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt584bb116b1121c4c/69888baf5f570febceb201dd/trump-rally-protester.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Anti-Donald Trump Protester Punched and Kicked at Rally in Arizona > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Mar 20, 2016 2:16 PM UTC  Trump protester Bryan Sanders is punched by a Trump supporter as he is escorted out of Donald Trump's rally in Tucson, AZ, on March 19, 2016. Trump protester Bryan Sanders is punched by a Trump supporter as he is escorted out of Donald Trump's rally in Tucson, AZ, on March 19, 2016. Mike Christy—AP  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Mar 20, 2016 2:16 PM UTC Another Donald Trump rally was plagued by violence Saturday when a [protester was punched in the face](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/protester-punched-kicked-donald-trump-rally-arizona-n541991) and kicked while being escorted out the Republican front-runner’s event in Arizona. [Video of the disorder](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EALPC4gVdIM), which erupted at the mogul’s rally in Tucson, shows a man shouting and holding an anti-Trump sign before he’s punched to the ground. It’s the latest in a recent string of clashes between Trump supporters and protesters at the presidential hopeful’s campaign events. The protester, identified by NBC News as Bryan Sanders, said he was being led out of the rally when a man ripped his sign out of his hands before landing the blow. “I stumble back, sucker punch … and then you saw all hell break loose,” he told the news outlet. “He’s stomping me. What was going through my mind was: Put your arms over your head, because this political movement has gotten to the point where you may get beat to death inside of a rally.” Police said Tony Pettway, 32,was charged him with assault with injury, according to NBC News. Another video of the rally shows a man following the violence who appeared to be wearing a white hood and delivering a Nazi salute. “There’s a disgusting guy, puts a Ku Klux Klan hat on,” Trump said, according to NBC News. “He thinks he’s cute. He’s a disgusting guy.” Trump [last week denied](http://time.com/4257804/donald-trump-rally-violence-denial/) that violence was taking place at his rallies after a [protester was sucker-punched](http://time.com/4253898/donald-trump-protester-north-carolina-rally-punched/) in the face at a North Carolina event and a campaign event in Chicago had to be canceled over security concerns. “The press is now calling, they’re saying, ‘Oh but there’s such violence.’ There’s no violence. You know how many people have been hurt at our rallies? I think like, basically none, other than I guess maybe somebody got hit once or something. But there’s no violence,” he said at the time. “There’s no violence. There’s love-fests. 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