Democratic officials said the bus had stopped its trip.
Washington, United States:
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Sunday denounced the alleged harassment of one of his campaign buses by supporters of Donald Trump on a Texas freeway, in an incident the FBI confirmed to be investigating.
The video posted to Twitter appears to show several trucks waving Trump flags surrounding and slowing the Biden / Harris bus.
Democratic officials said the bus, carrying the state’s Congressional candidate Wendy Davis, interrupted her trip and canceled two scheduled events and a press conference, citing “security concerns.”
The president himself tweeted a video of the incident on Saturday night, saying: “I LOVE TEXAS.”
I LOVE TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/EP7P3AvE8L
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2020
“We’ve never had anything like it – at least we’ve never had a president who thinks it’s a good thing,” Biden told his supporters in Philadelphia.
He added that the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, had made a video urging funders to “go on” and find the whereabouts of Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, and greet her in the same way.
“My friends, that’s not who we are. We’re so much better than that,” Biden said.
The FBI office in San Antonio told AFP on Sunday they were investigating the Texas incident, but declined to give further comment.
An SUV belonging to the Democratic trailer was reportedly wiped down on the side. No injuries were reported and it was not clear whether those involved were armed.
Meanwhile, several Twitter posts showed scenes of long traffic backups on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway, allegedly caused by pro-Trump drivers.
The incidents reported took place against a backdrop of great concern regarding voter suppression or intimidation and post-election violence.
Amid lingering fears, Democratic officials in Floyd County, Georgia, said on Sunday they were canceling a campaign event after learning that a “significant militia presence was expected” because of the planned rally by Trump evening in the city of Rome, Georgia.
And at a rally in Michigan, Trump explicitly adopted the action, saying protesters in Texas were trying to “protect” the Biden bus.
“You see the way our people, you know, they were protecting this bus yesterday,” he said, adding that Trump supporters numbered in “hundreds”.
The bus was part of a visit to Texas on Friday from Harris, whose presence showed Democrats saw a chance to overthrow the traditionally conservative state.
“Rather than engage in a productive conversation … Trump supporters in Texas (Friday) instead decided to put our staff, surrogates, supporters and others at risk,” said Tariq Thowfeek, a spokesperson. Texan word from the Biden campaign, Texas Tribune.
Local media said the incident occurred on the I-35 freeway, southwest of Austin, the state capital.
The Texas Tribune quoted Republican State President Allen West as calling the incident “fake news and propaganda” as adding: “Stop disturbing me.”
