Violent campaign rhetoric hits a tipping point with #TrumpRally

Donald Trump's rallies seem to have reached a tipping point, after the Republican frontrunner's announcement that he would be cancelling an event in Chicago saw the rally devolve into violence.

Protesters and supporters came to blows as police worked to clear the room at the Chicago Pavilion. 

By Saturday morning, the rally was international news, and #TrumpRally was trending across the globe on Twitter with users offering their take on how things went down. 

Trump has repeatedly called for violence at his rallies and has publicly supported a heavy handed approach to dealing with the protesters who interrupt them.

But early Saturday morning, Trump tweeted that the violence on display at his Chicago rally somehow demonstrated that "organized thugs" were "energizing people" in America.

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Some Trump supporters seemed to stand with their candidate, and lay blame for the violence squarely on the shoulders of protesters, though video of the events clearly shows both protesters and supporters engaged in violence.

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Others pointed out that the rally had taken on a tone often seen abroad but which rarely plays out in the U.S.

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Some feared the rallies simply set the stage for what the tone of a potential Trump presidency would look like for the country. 

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The three other GOP contenders were also quick to distance themselves from the violence seen at the rally. 

Ted Cruz appeared on Fox's Kelly File and denounced Trump's campaign tactics.

"A campaign bears responsibility for creating an environment when the candidate urged supporters to engage in physical violence," said Cruz.

"There are consequences to the words of a presidential candidate," fellow GOP hopeful Marco Rubio told MSNBC on Friday night. 

John Kasich issued a statement saying the "seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit and it was ugly."

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Trump's Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were also quick to weigh in on the controversy, with both positioning themselves as candidates who overcome divisions and bring people together.

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Trump's campaign seems to have crossed a threshold this week, after a North Carolina protester was sucker-punched in an incident that resulted in criminal charges for the attacker, and a chaotic rally in St. Louis was continuously interrupted before Trump supporters and protesters scuffled outside. 

Then came the Chicago cancellation and the violence that followed.

Trump's campaign reportedly scrapped plans to hold a rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday, citing security concerns. However later in the morning on Saturday, Trump tweeted that the Ohio event was still on and that the "media put out false reports that it was cancelled."

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A local spokesman for Trump's campaign said the Secret Service had not been able to complete preparations in time for the Sunday afternoon event.

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