Politics at its worst

It is a sad indictment on the decline of discourse in this country when a rally in support of the president of the United States devolves into a brawl. But that is what happened in Huntington Beach, Calif., over the weekend when folks rallying in support of President Trump clashed with anti- Trump protesters.

“We were expecting it to be more peaceful,” Jordan Hoiberg, a member of the Socialist Party USA, one of the protest organizers, said. “We were not about to start something when we are 10 people and they are a thousand. That would be suicidal.”

But it seems hard to believe that the protesters thought attempting to physically block the march with a “human wall” wouldn’t lead to a confrontation.

So let’s cast off any claims that antiTrump protesters weren’t there for a confrontation. But it should also be noted that there were at least a few Trump supporters that arrived at the event ready to fight as well.

If protesters arriving with pepper spray was an indication of their willingness to fight, then so too can it be said that people don’t typically wear brass knuckles to a peaceful march.

It seems clear that protesters arrived looking for a fight, but some on the other side, sadly, obliged them. While the vast majority of the rally was peaceful, and the majority of ralliers were equally peaceful, the 30- minute scuffle is likely all that will be remembered.