Biden campaign cancels event in Texas after pro-Trump cars surrounded its bus

The Biden campaign canceled an event in Texas on Friday after it said a caravan of President Trump’s supporters surrounded its bus in vehicles to try to “run it off the road.”  

The former vice president’s campaign said cars pulled in front of its bus on Interstate 35 in the Lone Star State as it was en route to Austin from San Antonio, according to The Washington Post.

The campaign said the cars tried to “stop the bus in the middle of the highway,” according to the newspaper. 

A video posted to Twitter of the incident shows a white truck hitting another car as it follows the Biden campaign closely at the rear of the bus. 

This is a traffic violation and attempted homicide. Why hasn’t anyone been arrested? pic.twitter.com/QnfF4vXMQn

— haunting student debt owners (@mcbyrne) October 31, 2020

While on the road, Biden campaign staffers called 911 to involve police and get safely escorted to their next location, according to the Post. 

After the run-in with the pro-Trump drivers, the event was reportedly canceled “out of an abundance of caution” to avoid any chance of unrest.  

“Rather than engage in productive conversation about the drastically different visions that Joe Biden and Donald Trump have for our country, Trump supporters in Texas today instead decided to put our staff, surrogates, supporters, and others in harm’s way,” Tariq Thowfeek, the Biden campaign’s communications director in Texas, said in a statement to The Hill. 

Following news of the incident, the president appeared to express support for the line of Trump vehicles. He shared a video of what appeared to be the incident on Twitter, writing, “I LOVE TEXAS!”  

I LOVE TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/EP7P3AvE8L

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2020

Texas House Representative Cheryl Cole (D) expressed her dismay at the event’s cancellation on Twitter, writing, “Unfortunately, Pro-Trump Protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits. Sorry to all who looked forward to this fun event.”

This is a 1st for me – but we just cancelled a joint event in Pflugerville w/ @JoeBiden campaign, @AustinYoungDems, & more, due to security reasons. Unfortunately, Pro-Trump Protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits. Sorry to all who looked forward to this fun event. https://t.co/tSq4moqro0

— Sheryl Cole (@SherylCole1) October 30, 2020

News of the cancellation comes as the race between Trump and Biden has tightened in Texas over the last few weeks.

This week, The Cook Political Report, an election handicapper, moved the presidential race in the state from “lean Republican” to “toss-up.” And another poll by the University of Massachusetts Lowell showed the two candidates effectively tied in a state that has been reliably red in years past. 

Trump won the state by a 9-point margin over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016. 

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calf.) campaigned in other parts of Texas on Friday, a signal that the Biden campaign believes the state is in play for Democrats with just days until Nov. 3.