Shoppers exit after a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, Aug. And in another 10 cases, Trump and his rhetoric were cited in court to explain a defendant's violent or threatening behavior. In another 18 cases, perpetrators cheered or defended Trump while taunting or threatening others. Reviewing police reports and court records, ABC News found that in at least 12 cases perpetrators hailed Trump in the midst or immediate aftermath of physically assaulting innocent victims. When police questioned a Washington state man about his threats to kill a local Syrian-born man, the suspect told police he wanted the victim to 'get out of my country,' adding, 'That’s why I like Trump.' But a nationwide review conducted by ABC News has identified at least 54 criminal cases where Trump was invoked in direct connection with violent acts, threats of violence or allegations of assault.Īfter a Latino gas station attendant in Gainesville, Florida, was suddenly punched in the head by a white man, the victim could be heard on surveillance camera recounting the attacker’s own words: “He said, ‘This is for Trump.'' Charges were filed but the victim stopped pursuing them.