Republican Donald Trump was rushed off stage by security agents at a rally in Reno, Nevada, on Saturday night after a perceived security threat as he and Democrat Hillary Clinton swept across states that could prove decisive in Tuesday’s presidential election.
Two security agents seized Trump by the shoulders and hustled him backstage as police officers swarmed over a white male in the front of the crowd and held him face down on the ground while they searched him.
Moments later, the man was escorted by police away with his hands behind his back. Trump, seemingly unruffled, returned to the stage and continued his campaign speech.
“Nobody said it was going to be easy for us,” he said. “But we will never be stopped.”
The Secret Service later said the incident erupted when an unidentified individual in front of the stage shouted “gun.”
“Secret Service agents and Reno Police Officers immediately apprehended the subject. Upon a thorough search of the subject and the surrounding area, no weapon was found,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
“A thorough investigation is ongoing at this time by the U.S. Secret Service and the Reno Police Department,” it said.
The incident began when Trump noticed what he considered a heckler. A few seconds later people near the stage began pointing at someone in the crowd near the front.
Then agents took Trump away.
In a statement, Trump thanked the Secret Service, Reno and Nevada law enforcement for “their fast and professional response.”
The incident occurred as Clinton and Trump make their closing arguments to American voters, crisscrossing the United States in hopes of winning over last-minute undecided voters and rallying their bases to turn out enthusiastically on Election Day.
In Philadelphia, pop singer Katy Perry performed at a Clinton rally, the latest in a string of celebrity appearances aimed at getting out the vote among millennials.
“When your kids and grandkids ask you what you did in 2016, when it was all on the line, I want you be able to say you voted for a better, stronger, America,” Clinton said.
Opinion polls show Clinton still holds advantages in states that could be critical in deciding the election. But her lead has narrowed after a revelation a week ago that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into a new trove of emails as part of its probe into her handling of classified information while she was secretary of state.
A McClatchy-Marist opinion poll released on Saturday of voters nationwide showed Clinton leading by 1 percentage point compared to 6 percentage points in September. A Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll on Saturday showed Clinton ahead by 4 percentage points nationally compared to 5 points on Friday.
