Feds charge Ohio man who tried to rush Trump stage

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A man who tried to rush the stage at a Donald Trump rally in Ohio was charged by federal prosecutors Tuesday with illegally entering a restricted area.

Authorities say Thomas DiMassimo, of Fairborn, jumped a barricade and rushed at Trump on Saturday. Video from the rally shows DiMassimo was able to touch the stage before security officials tackled him.

DiMassimo, 22, was charged in federal court in Dayton. The misdemeanour charge carries up to a one-year prison sentence.

DiMassimo, who attends Wright State University in Dayton, is a hard-working college student whose intentions were benevolent and a way to express his political ideals, his attorney, Jon Paul Rion, said.

“He clearly did not mean any ill will toward any person and was simply expressing his political views,” Rion said.

DiMassimo is a senior at Wright State majoring in acting, said university spokesman Seth Bauguess.

An initial hearing is set for March 23.

Clashes between supporters and protesters have increased in recent days at Trump rallies. The incident in Dayton happened a day after groups of well-organized students succeeded in keeping Trump from even taking the stage at a rally in Chicago.