Donald Trump’s supporters didn’t even wait for security to get involved with protesters at his Las Vegas rally on Saturday as they took matters into their own hands and shoved the rowdy attendees from the venue.
The day after the former president was ordered to pay $83.8 million to E. Jean Carroll for defamation, he flew to Nevada for a rally just 8 miles from his golden hotel on the Las Vegas strip.
As a group of rally-goers became rowdy – and seemingly anti-Trump – a group of supporters pushed the American Flag-donning attendees out of the venue and shouted at them as the former president said: ‘No, they’re actually friends – enthusiastic friends.’
Trump’s rally in Nevada came off back-to-back victories in Iowa’s caucuses on January 15 and New Hampshire’s primary election on January 23.
Donald Trump urged his supporters to skip the primary election in Nevada and just participate in the caucus because ‘your primary vote doesn’t mean anything’
Supporters of the former president helped push-out protesters from the venue outside of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday afternoon
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff played Democratic counter programming in Las Vegas the same day as Trump’s visit to the early primary contest state.
Nevada’s presidential primary contest is next, but nearly no candidates were campaigning in the state – even before all but three dropped out of the race – as confusion swirls over the dueling primary and caucus contests.
‘The message from the voters of our party is clear – It’s time to finish this primary and get going at defeating [Biden],’ Trump said as he went into explaining there are two different primary contests happening this year.
‘And remember this, we all call it a primary, but I like calling it a caucus because it is,’ he said, insisting: ‘Your primary vote doesn’t mean anything – it’s your caucus vote.’
‘In your state you have both the primary and you have a caucus. Don’t worry about the primary, just do the caucus thing,’ Trump instructed his voters. ‘And we’re going to go on to defeat Crooked Joe Biden.’
Nevada is historically the third primary state – but usually only holds caucuses, like Iowa. This year, however, the state decided to run a primary election, while Nevada’s Republican Party said it will hold caucuses and that all delegates will be allocated through that contest.
The primary is on Tuesday, February 6 and the caucuses are on Thursday, February 8.
The ex-president railed against Nikki Haley – the last-standing serious contender against Trump in the presidential primary
A sea of red hats as rally goers listen to Donald Trump speak at his rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, January 27, 2024
The shake-up has led to a lot of confusion and anger from Republicans.
One Trump supporter from Arizona who moved to a Vegas suburb recently told DailyMail.com at Saturday’s rally that the dueling primaries ‘makes everything so confusing.’
Las Vegas-native Billy, 62, said that he didn’t even know there were two contests before showing up for the rally and says he doubts any of his friends and family are tuned into what is going on this year.
Trump is filed for the caucuses – and is a shoe-in to win all the delegates as his only competition is longshot candidate and Texas-based pastor and entrepreneur Ryan Binkley.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley filed for the primary only in Nevada, meaning she cannot pick up any delegates in the state.
After her second place finish in New Hampshire, Haley made it clear her focus is now on her home state of South Carolina, which holds the fourth primary contest on February 24.
‘She’s still campaigning?’ Trump said of Nikki Haley at his rally. ‘She was just endorsed by Liz Cheney, can you believe it? If Liz Cheney ever endorsed me, I’d be like: ‘No, I don’t want it.’
Disgraced former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney urged Haley to stay in the race.
Trump, Haley and Binkley are the three Republicans still running in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
As Trump was en route to his Nevada rally, E Jean Carroll, 80, broke down in tears and hugged her lawyers in court on Friday as she was awarded $83.3 million in her defamation trial against him.
The 80-year-old sued Trump for his defamatory statements disparaging her, and denying her rape allegations.
Trump left court around 4:00 p.m. on Friday to head to Las Vegas despite the imminent decision.
Trump’s rally came the day after he was ordered to pay $83.8 million in the defamation case brought by author E. Jean Carroll, 80, who is seen on Friday leaving court in Manhattan