The man arrested at Trump’s rally wanted to display a banner

Stephen A. Weiss, a protester, was arrested last week at a Donald Trump event in Pennsylvania after attempting to unfurl a protest banner against the former president during the rally.

A man arrested last week at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania had hoped to hang a banner to protest the former president’s policies, local police say. https://t.co/7DSp3GuyUD

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 4, 2024

At Donald Trump’s campaign rally, Weiss, 36, allegedly faked a foot injury to hide a tube of glue, presumably intended to hang a banner with an anti-Trump message he had written.

The exact content of the message remains unknown, as event staff reportedly discarded the banner after the altercation.

Stephen A. Weiss is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disrupting a meeting after being arrested while running across the arena floor, jumping over the barrier in the media area and shouting in the direction of the stage where Trump was speaking. He was then quickly subdued by police and security guards on the scene.

Weiss, who was accompanied by a second man at the event, who denied any knowledge of the planned protest, was questioned by the Secret Service and released that evening.

Questions are being raised about security measures at Trump rallies, especially given that this is already the second incident in Pennsylvania.

The first incident, with much more serious consequences, occurred on July 13 in Butler, when gunfire erupted in the direction of the outdoor stage at Trump’s rally. This event resulted in minor injuries to Trump and several casualties, including one death, among the crowd.

After this event, Trump campaign officials had promised that security measures for the former president’s rallies would be significantly stepped up.