- Donald Trump shared an image of Joe Biden hog-tied on the tailgate of a passing pickup truck.
- The video was reported to have been filmed in Long Island, New York.
- The Republican presidential nominee was accused of inciting violence against President Joe Biden.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump faced criticism Friday for posting a video on his social media that showed President Joe Biden hog-tied on the tailgate of a passing pickup truck.
According to the caption, the video was taken in Long Island, New York, where the former president had been attending the wake of fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.
Posted to his Truth Social account, the video showed a passing truck adorned with “Trump 2024” stickers and flags claiming support for police, with the picture of Biden with his hands and feet bound painted on the rear of the vehicle.
Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler slammed Trump for posting the video.
“This image from Donald Trump is the type of crap you post when you’re calling for a bloodbath or when you tell the Proud Boys to ‘stand back and stand by,'” Tyler said in a statement shared with NBC News.
“Trump is regularly inciting political violence, and it’s time people take him seriously — just ask the Capitol Police officers who were attacked protecting our democracy on January 6.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told NBC News: “That picture was on the back of a pick-up truck that was travelling down the highway.
“Democrats and crazed lunatics have not only called for despicable violence against President Trump and his family, they are actually weaponizing the justice system against him.”
Business Insider did not immediately receive a response from the Trump campaigns press office, sent outside standard working hours.
Similar trucks were also spotted when Mr Trump’s supporters showed up to protest comedian Kathy Griffin’s “My Life On PTSD-List” event in Huntington, Long Island.
Trump supporters showed up to protest Kathy Griffin’s “My Life On PTSD-List” in Huntington Long Island “Kathy Griffin you suck” BTW concert was HILARIOUS pic.twitter.com/8GAkHGQuai
— RealSandiBachom 📹 (@realsandibachom) March 25, 2024
Inciting violence
The video has prompted concerns that Trump is promoting violent behaviour or appearing to threaten the current president.
Former US attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Joyce Alene White Vance, wrote that the Secret Service should take the incident seriously and that Mr Trump’s post was “totally out of bounds”.
“I know from experience how the Secret Service interacts with people who make threats against Potus, even ones they can’t carry out,” she wrote on X.
“This, from a former president, is totally out of bounds. It’s time to stop letting Trump break the rules. Long past time.”
Former FBI assistant director, Frank Figliuzzi, wrote: “If you or I did this, we’d have a knock on the door.”
The video comes a few weeks after Trump told supporters at an Ohio rally that, if he weren’t reelected, there would be a “bloodbath” while speaking about the automobile industry.
Last year, Trump warned about “potential death and destruction” if he were to be charged in the Manhattan district attorney’s hush money case against him.
