Man arrested with knife and wooden baton at Trump campaign event

A man was reportedly arrested Wednesday after brandishing a knife and a wooden baton at a Trump campaign rally in Maine where the president was not present.

ABC News reports that while at the rally where South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) was appearing, Peter Beitzell, 58, allegedly harassed and exchanged words with attendees while holding a knife and baton.

According to Maggie Seidel, spokesperson for Noem, the governor’s security detail of South Dakota state troopers engaged with the man, and Noem was not in danger at any point.

Noem is currently campaigning for President Trump, with stops planned in Maine and New Hampshire.

Beitzell reportedly eventually returned to his car where he put away the weapons and was subsequently charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. Beitzell posted a $200 bail.

Tensions are running high as Election Day approaches. In a YouGov survey released this month, 55 percent of registered voters felt that violence would increase after the election.

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) has said that officials held a “all-hazard drill” to anticipate any election-related threats. In Baltimore, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said his department is preparing to “deploy our resources before, on and even after Election Day,” while adding police are prepared to “de-escalate tensions at the polls.”