A fight broke out at the opening of a trump campaign office in Valdosta, Georgiasaid the police.
The incident occurred last week when state Rep. John LaHood said he was approached by activist Sam Carnline after speaking at the event, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Carnline was reportedly wearing a t-shirt calling for the use of paper ballots instead of the current electronic system. The system is under scrutiny from conservatives who make baseless claims of fraud after former president donald trump lost Georgia in 2020 by less than 12,000 votes. Carline said that election-related measures supported by LaHood were not strong enough.
LaHood told the newspaper that he and Carnline had a “heated argument” but that LaHood left after his wife approached them. Carnline continued to claim the election was stolen of Trump, despite several investigations and recounts confirming that Trump lost Georgia.
That’s when things got out of control. Republican aide Brandon Phillips allegedly spat at Carnline, an allegation Phillips denies, according to reports. Phillips is a top adviser to Republican Congressman Mike Collins.
Carline told Magazine-Constitution that Phillips got between him and LaHood and that he told Carnline to “stop bothering” the state representative. When Carnline didn’t back down, he said Phillips began insulting his family.
“I probably pointed at him and told him to get away from me. He immediately spat in my face. And at that point, I pushed him and pushed him as hard as I could,” Carnline told the newspaper. “He jumped back. I raised my fist back and intended to hit him, but I may have just looked at his shoulder.
“Then people calmed me down. But he deserved it,” she added.
Lahood and others at the event say they saw Carnline punch or push Phillips at least twice.
The police account was slightly different from that of the witnesses.
“Brandon Phillips jumped in because he didn’t like the questions he was asking,” police said of Carnline, according to the newspaper. “Words were exchanged between him and Brandon because he was upset that Brandon spat in his face.”
“I informed Brandon that he instigated the incident by spitting on Carnline,” the officer wrote. “Both parties have agreed to part ways and go their separate ways without the need for further law enforcement action.”
No charges were filed. Phillips rejected the spitting allegation, claiming Carnline pushed him to the ground.
Phillips told Magazine-Constitution that he intervened because he didn’t want the fight to escalate.
“They say politics can be a contact sport, and sometimes it is,” Phillips told the outlet.
“I certainly don’t mind defending any volunteers or staff who are trying to positively contribute to a Trump victory from outside agitators with an opposing agenda,” he added.
Longtime Republican activist Dennis Futch told the newspaper he did not witness Phillips spitting on Carnline, but if it happened, it was not intentional as the two were shouting at the time. He added that he saw Carnline push or hit Phillips twice.
“I’m proud of Brandon because Brandon didn’t lay a finger on Sam Carnline. It wasn’t a fight. It was Sam trying to be a bully,” Futch told the outlet.
The altercation was broken up by Chas Cannon, a state representative and Army veteran. He told the newspaper he did not see Phillip spit at anyone, but added that Carnline tried to push Phillips on several occasions.
“It was a heated conversation and I didn’t think it was appropriate at an event like this. They were arguing with each other and went their separate ways,” Cannon told Magazine-Constitution.
“There were more people there trying to de-escalate the fighting than promoting it. It was uncomfortably intense, but fortunately it didn’t escalate any further,” LaHood told the newspaper. “It was just a little black eye, but it didn’t define the event. Most people didn’t even know it happened.”
