The Slatest

Suspect Cites Trump After Anti-Immigrant Assault, Trump Responds by Saying He Has Passionate Fans

Scott Leader and Steve Leader.

Photos courtesy Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office

Two Boston brothers were arrested early Wednesday and accused of severely beating a homeless Hispanic man on their way home from a Red Sox game; police say one of them cited Donald Trump’s positions on immigration to justify the attack. From the Boston Globe:

Police said Scott Leader, 38, told them it was OK to assault the man because he was Hispanic and homeless.

“Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported,” he allegedly told the police.

(It’s not clear whether the victim of the assault is actually an undocumented immigrant.)

Leader’s brother Steve is the other suspect. The brothers say the Hispanic man threatened them, but a prosecutor described the attack as “unprovoked” and the man reportedly told police that he was woken from sleep because the two brothers were urinating on his face. He suffered a broken nose and was reportedly struck several times in the head area with a metal pole.

The Globe reached Trump for comment:

Trump, told of the alleged assault, said “it would be a shame . . . I will say that people who are following me are very passionate. They love this country and they want this country to be great again. They are passionate.”

Both of the Leader brothers have “extensive” criminal records, the newspaper says. Scott Leader was convicted of a hate crime after attacking a Moroccan man and calling him a “terrorist” in 2001.