Trump slams TPP, Bernie Sanders in Ohio

  • 13/03/2016
Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Dayton International Airport, Ohio (Reuters)
Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Dayton International Airport, Ohio (Reuters)

The controversial Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact is being rubbished by US Republican candidate Donald Trump.

There were chaotic scenes in Chicago yesterday, where the billionaire was forced to postpone a rally there among safety concerns and violent scuffles broke out.

But this morning's event in Dayton, Ohio has gone ahead and there Trump laid into the TPP in front of rambunctious crowd of supporters.

"It's a horrible trade agreement," the Celebrity Apprentice star said.

"You have 12 countries - all of whom want to rip our heart out. You have China, which is not a part of it but wants to be a part of it at a later date. They're watching every move."

Trump claims US legislators haven't read the weighty document and don't know what's in it.

"It's too complicated. It's too big," Trump said.

"Each country knows every word of that document and our people have never even looked at it or read it. We don't know what the hell it says. We should not do it"

Although the Ohio rally was mostly calm, US Secret Service agents briefly formed a protective ring around Trump at one point, but then quickly left the stage and allowed him to continue his speech.

The scare came as a man tried to breach the security buffer, clearly startling Trump.

The audience chanted "Trump! Trump! Trump!" during the interruption, before the candidate told them: "I was ready for 'em, but it's much better if the cops do it, don't we agree?"

A spokeswoman for Donald Trump says the man "was removed rapidly and professionally" by security.

The Republican frontrunner also blamed supporters of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, who he called "our communist friend", for shutting down the Chicago event.

Sanders hit back, describing Trump as "a candidate that has promoted hatred and division".

President Barack Obama told a fundraising event in Dallas, Texas, that political leaders "should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another".

Republican candidate US Senator Marco Rubio also bemoaned the state of the presidential race, saying it had "become reality television".

"Last night in Chicago, we saw images that make America look like a Third World country," Rubio said, reminding supporters the stakes on Tuesday are high.

"If Donald Trump is our nominee, it will fracture the Republican Party," Rubio added.

The clashes yesterday followed a slew of recent incidents of violence at Trump rallies, in which protesters and journalists have been punched, tackled and hustled out of venues.

"All of a sudden a planned attack just came out of nowhere," Trump said at the Ohio rally, calling the protest leaders "professional people".

Trump has a significant lead in primary contests over the three remaining Republicans vying for the White House.

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