Trump testifies he feared being hit by 鈥榲ery dangerous鈥� fruit

By: 3 years ago

Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a rally to boost Ohio Republican candidates ahead of their May 3 primary election, at the county fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio, U.S. April 23, 2022. REUTERS

NEW YORK 鈥� Ex-president Donald Trump testified under oath that he feared protesters would pelt him with 鈥渧ery dangerous鈥� fruit like pineapples, tomatoes, and bananas saying: 鈥淵ou can get killed with those things.鈥�

The comments were revealed in court documents made public Tuesday which included a transcript of a deposition Trump gave last October as part of an ongoing civil lawsuit in New York.

The case was brought by several activists of Mexican descent who say they were attacked by his security guards outside Trump Tower in Manhattan in 2015.

鈥淚 wanted to have people be ready because we were put on alert that they were going to do fruit,鈥� Trump said under questioning by attorney Benjamin Dictor.

He added that 鈥渢omatoes are bad, by the way鈥� but that 鈥渟ome fruit is a lot worse.鈥�

Dictor asked Trump about comments he made at a rally in Iowa in 2016 when the then-presidential candidate told supporters to 鈥渒nock the crap鈥� out of anyone about to throw a tomato.

鈥淭hat was to the audience. It was said sort of in jest,鈥� Trump responded, before adding: 鈥淏ut maybe, you know, a little truth to it. It鈥檚 very dangerous stuff. You can get killed with those things.

Dictor asked Trump whether it was his 鈥渆xpectation that if your security guards see someone about to throw a tomato that they should knock the crap out of them?鈥�

鈥淵eah, I think that they have to be aggressive in stopping that from happening. Because if that happens, you can be killed if that happens,鈥� Trump answered.

鈥淭o stop somebody from throwing pineapples, tomatoes, bananas, stuff like that, yeah, it鈥檚 dangerous stuff,鈥� he added later.

Trump sat for around four and a half hours during the videotaped deposition on October 18, after a New York judge rejected an attempt to quash a subpoena ordering him to testify.

The activists alleged that on September 3, 2015 Trump鈥檚 bodyguards violently broke up their protest against derogatory comments Trump had made about Mexico and Mexicans at the start of his ultimately successful run for president.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e bringing drugs. They鈥檙e bringing crime. They鈥檙e rapists,鈥� Trump had said.

The plaintiffs allege that the guards ripped away their signs and punched and choked one of the demonstrators.

Trump has claimed that his security 鈥渢ried to deescalate the situation鈥� but were met with violence from the plaintiffs themselves.

The 75-year-old is also facing several other legal battles, which threaten to complicate any bid for another run for the White House in 2024.

On Monday, a US judge held Trump in contempt of court and ordered him to pay $10,000 every day until he hands over financial documents to the New York state attorney general who is pursuing a civil probe into alleged fraud at his family business.

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