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The Smoke Pit

Choked for Speaking Up: The Navy Vet Attacked at Trump's Pendleton Rally

October 24, 2026 58m Pillar II: Democracy, Peace, and Constitutional Duty

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Ten days to the polls.

On Wednesday night, Navy veteran Matt McDaniel stood up at President Trump's midterm rally at Clemson University's T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton, South Carolina, and yelled "You're the criminal!" He says a man behind him put him in a chokehold and a second man started punching. From the stage, the President asked who threw the punch. The Anderson County Sheriff's Office has an assault report open. No suspect has been named.

Tonight Matt is in the pit to tell it himself. He walks us through what he said, what happened next, where his case stands, and why he says courage is contagious.

Then Alan Buckalew joins us. He is a medically retired Army paratrooper and a candidate for the South Carolina House, and he was removed from the same rally. He tells us what he saw from the floor and why veterans belong in local and state government. 50501 Veterans does not endorse candidates or parties.

The panel closes on the bigger question. What does it mean when political violence draws applause, and what does a veteran's oath ask of us ten days out?

Hour Two: Fire for Effect with Rumor Control, South Carolina early voting, and the Election Watch threat map. Questions for the panel at 50501vets.com/ask.

Issues over party. Straight talk over spin.

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