Like his mentor and former boss, former Apprentice contestant Andy Dean went the classiest possible route Thursday, defending a Donald Trump supporter who sucker-punched a black protester during a Wednesday night rally.
Video widely circulated by national media purported to show 78-year-old ponytailed man John McGraw throwing a surprise punch at protester Rakeem Jones, 26, who was being led out of the Trump event by security. McGraw was later charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct. Dean, a former president of Trump Productions LLC, found McGraw's actions admirable.
"That guy's 78 and throwing a punch like that," Dean marveled Thursday afternoon to CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin. "At his age, we must say that that is very, very interesting." He referenced a famous clip of elderly ex-astronaut Buzz Aldrin punching a man who accused him of faking the Apollo moon landings.
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"I'm not going to give him credit for throwing a punch," a clearly appalled Baldwin responded.
But the Trump bro continued with some deflection: "Why is it at the Trump rallies, liberals come and create chaos—interrupting 10 or 15 times—when you don't see conservatives go into Hillary Clinton and freak out at her rallies?" he asked. "It's a lack of respect that liberals have for freedom of speech."
And then he outright defended the punch: "[Donald Trump] can't control a 78-year-old man, and at that age, it looks like good exercise."
"This is classy," commentator S.E. Cupp snarked; and former Jeb Bush spokesman Tim Miller added: "This is the Trump culture, he's complimenting this guy."
"What culture?" Dean shot back. "He's 78! That's somewhat impressive."
Miller then brought up the case of Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski allegedly grabbing Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, nearly dragging her to the ground and bruising her arm.
"That is a lie," Dean shouted. "That is an outright lie. When you're near soon-to-be President Trump, Secret Service, there's like a mosh going and I've been there and I've been hit, I don't take it personally. They have to protect the president and that is defamation."
An utterly baffled Cupp said it best in response: "I want to go to sleep and wake up when it's over."
