Violence at Donald Trump rallies so bad ‘someone could get killed'

'America used to be the world’s policeman, now we’ve become the world’s entertainment'

Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Wisconsin (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The violence at Donald Trump’s campaign rallies is escalating so much “someone could get killed," a Republican Party strategist has predicted.

The presidential hopeful's rallies have become increasingly marked by reports of acts of violence in recent weeks.

The most high-profile incident involve that of his own camapign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who was charged with the simple battery of former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields during a press conference at his country club in Jupiter, Florida.

Republican Party strategist Frank Luntz said the level of violence at the events had been increasing in recent weeks.

“People are going to get very badly hurt if this isn’t stopped and I’m actually afraid that someone could get killed between now and election day.

“The tempers are so high, the anger is so deep and it’s a sense of betrayal. And if you’re a Donald Trump supporter, this doesn’t bother you at all because nothing bothers you about this candidate or campaign,” he added.

Mr Luntz made his comments after Mr Trump, the frontrunner in the race to become the presidential candidate for the Republican Party, decided to stand by his campaign manager.

Video footage, released by police, appears to show Lewandowski grabbing Ms Fields as she tries to ask Mr Trump a question on 8 March.

Mr Trump said: “I’m not going to let a person’s life be destroyed. No jury, in my opinion, would convict a man and destroy a man’s life over what you witnessed.”

According to the Trump campaign, Lewandowski will plead not guilty and “is completely confident that he will be exonerated”.

The incident was highly criticised by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton: “What Donald Trump has been doing over these last months is inciting violent behaviour, aggressive behaviour that I think is very dangerous and has resulted in attacks on people at his events including this charge that has now been brought against his campaign manager.”

Mr Luntz said such a situation was completely unprecedented.

“In modern political times, no campaign manager has ever been arrested for battery… This is unprecedented in American politics.”

“You see something you have never expected before. But this is from a campaign that over the last 96 hours has been arguing over which spouse of a presidential candidate is more attractive, has committed a crime, is more outside the mainstream. Who would have thought we’d be battling over violence and spouses in what is the most important presidential campaign of our lifetime.”

Mr Luntz added: “America used to be the world’s policeman, now we’ve become the world’s entertainment.”