At an October 21, 2026 rally for Sen. Darline Graham at the T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton, South Carolina, near Clemson University, Trump celebrated after a protester being escorted out was punched by a rally attendee. “That was great, man. Wow. Man, I loved that. I watched that,” he said, according to the Guardian. “That was incredible. Wow. That was unbelievable. Is everybody OK?” He went on: “Who's the guy that threw that punch?” and “You know, you reminded me of Evander, the real deal, Holyfield,” a reference to the former heavyweight champion, who was at the rally. Of the protester he said, “You gotta give them credit. It takes courage to do that at a Trump rally,” and, “He got whacked.” A pool report said Trump was interrupted at least nine times by hecklers.
The protester, Matthew McDaniel, a semi-retired Navy veteran, told the Post and Courier the next morning that one man put him in a chokehold while another punched him, that he went to the hospital with neck injuries, and that he wants the men charged. He called Trump his “best witness”: “I mean, he describes in detail what happened, and I would say it's probably one of the few times I've ever seen him actually tell the truth.” The Anderson County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating his complaint. Video of the punch circulated widely; WBTV and other outlets aired it.