Trump calls CNN report on FBI probe into Biden bus incident ‘false’

President Trump on Monday blasted as "false" a CNN report that the FBI was investigating a recent incident in Texas in which Trump supporters in pick-up trucks surrounded a Biden campaign bus.

Trump responded on Twitter to a post that said: "JUST IN: The FBI is investigating an incident in Texas on Friday involving the alleged harassment of a Biden-Harris campaign bus by motorists displaying Trump 2020 flags, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation tells CNN."

The president said the drivers "did nothing wrong" during the alleged incident on Friday.

"This story is FALSE. They did nothing wrong. But the ANTIFA Anarchists, Rioters and Looters, who have caused so much harm and destruction in Democrat run cities, are being seriously looked at!" Trump tweeted.

But Tony Plohetski, senior reporter at KVUE-TV in Austin, posted on Twitter: "Very short statement from the FBI confirming that they are investigating incident Friday involving Biden bus."

In a story published on its website on Saturday, CNN wrote: "President Donald Trump on Saturday night appeared to embrace the actions of supporters in Texas who surrounded a Joe Biden campaign bus in what a Biden campaign official described as an attempt to slow down the bus and run it off the road."

But Naomi Narvaiz, a Texas Republican Party official in San Marcos, told The Texas Tribune that she and fellow Trump supporters "decided we would jump on 35 to show support for our president. I didn't see anyone being overly aggressive."

Said the Tribune: "According to a source familiar with the incident, the vehicles were a 'Trump Train group.' These groups are known in parts of the state and organize events that involve their cars with flags and Trump paraphernalia and drive around to show support for President Donald Trump. The group began yelling profanities and obscenities and then blockaded the entire Biden entourage.

"At one point they slowed the tour bus to roughly 20 mph on Interstate 35, the campaign official said. The vehicles slowed down to try to stop the bus in the middle of the highway. The source said there were nearly 100 vehicles around the campaign bus. Biden staffers were rattled by the event, the source said, though no one was hurt." 

The Washington Post reported that Biden campaign staffers called 911 to get a police escort to their next location. But one campaign staffer said the Trump Train prompted them to cancel at least one event.

Tariq Thowfeek, Texas communications director for the Biden campaign, ripped the Trump Train drivers.

"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 [Friday] instead decided to put our staff, surrogates, supporters, and others in harm's way," he said. "Our supporters will continue to organize their communities for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Democrats up and down the ballot, and to the Texans who disrupted our events today: We'll see you on November 3rd."