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Trump rally attendee says he is making up for missing the Jonestown Massacre: ‘This is as close as I'll ever get’
A man at Trump’s South Carolina rally sparked a stir by comparing the event to the Jonestown Massacre, calling it a chance to witness a cult firsthand.
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Ahead of Donald Trump's appearance for an election campaign rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday, a man's explanation of why he is attending it has caused quite a stir.
Hours before the rally was slated to start, a rally attendee at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, was asked by the Fox reporter on live TV why he was attending. The individual said that he was "too young" when the Jonestown Massacre happened and is making up for it by attending the rally.
The Jonestown Massacre refers to the death of 918 members of the Peoples Temple, Jim Jones' cult, in a coordinated mass suicide in Guyana on November 18, 1978.
The individual was asked by the Fox News reporter: "Why are you here this morning?"
The individual said: "Well, in the late 70s, I was a little too young to go to South America for the Jonestown Massacre. But this is as close as I'll ever get, so that's why I'm here. There's nothing like seeing a cult right up front."
The reporter then says, "Alright, may be he's not a Trump supporter", and the broadcast the cuts away from him.
Here's the video:
Trump will be rallying in South Carolina in support of Senator Darline Graham, as polls show that she is locked in a tight contest with her Democrat rival for the Senate seat, Annie Andrews. A New York Times/Siena poll released on Wednesday, October 28, showed both candidates tied with 48% support.
The rally is slated to start at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center at 12:30pm ET.
What to know about the Jonestown Massacre
The Jonestown Massacre is one of the deadliest instances of mass deaths that the US has seen. Originally from Jonestown, Pennsylvania, Jim Jones moved the People's Temple to Guyana in the 1970s, and it continued to operate from there when the deaths occurred.
The People's Temple cult combined Christian rhetoric with socialist ideals, and by the end of the 1970s, it had thousands of followers.
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Despite the promises of a racism-free space, the cult increasingly faced complaints of abuse and coercion. It prompted then US Congressman Leo Ryan to visit the Guyana base of People's Temple on November 19, 1978. At first, some of the Congressman's team members were attacked, with some even killed.
Later that day, Jim Jones decreed that all members of the cult take part in a mass suicide by consuming a cyanide infused drink.
