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Donald Trump Kicks Kid With Cerebral Palsy Out of Campaign Rally

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On Saturday, J.J. Holmes and his mother Alison Holmes went to a Trump campaign rally in Tampa, Florida, to protest Donald Trump’s treatment of people with disabilities. J.J., a 12-year-old with cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair as well as a vocalization device to speak.

“We were put out by security,” Alison Holmes told The Washington Post. “Mr. Trump kept saying, ‘Get them out.’”

According to Kimberly DeFalco, a reporter covering the event, Trump ordered J.J. and his mother to leave after the two started chanting Hillary Clinton’s name. Trump rally attendees then began to push J.J.’s wheelchair, shouting “U-S-A,” repeatedly, Holmes said.

“I hate Donald Trump. I hate Donald Trump,” J.J. told reporters through his vocalization device.

On Sunday, the day after the Trump event, J.J. and his mother traveled to Kissimmee, Florida, to hear President Barack Obama speak on behalf of Hillary Clinton. At the Clinton rally, J.J. had the opportunity to meet President Obama, who posed for photos with him.

To learn more about where the candidates stand on healthcare issues, check out The Mighty’s guide to the 2016 election. 

 

Originally published: November 7, 2016
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