This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (Al)
A Fox News reporter appeared to be searching for an enthusiastic President Donald Trump supporter ahead of his rally in South Carolina on Thursday. Instead, he found a man who said he had come to witness what he described as a “cult” in person.
Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson was speaking with a man named Tom at the rally in Rock Hill when he asked what had brought him to the event. The man’s answer quickly caught the reporter off guard.
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“Well, in the late ’70s, I was a little too young to get involved and go to South America for the Jonestown Massacre, but this is as close as I’ll ever get,” Tom said. Tomlinson appeared stunned and repeated, “Wait, the Jonestown Massacre?”
Tom confirmed that he was referring to the 1978 tragedy in Guyana, where more than 900 people died under cult leader Jim Jones.
“That’s right,” Tom said. “It’s nothing like seeing a cult right up front, man.”
The reporter quickly realized that the man was not the Trump supporter he had apparently expected to find. Tomlinson awkwardly clarified to viewers that Tom might not actually support the president before attempting to continue his interviews with other rally attendees.
In hindsight, Tom’s clothing may have offered an indication of his views. He was wearing a bright yellow shirt with the word “DEATH” prominently displayed across it.
The unexpected exchange occurred as Trump traveled to South Carolina to rally Republican voters ahead of the midterm elections. The president was campaigning in support of Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who is facing Democrat Annie Andrews in a competitive race.
The moment quickly drew attention because of the unusual comparison to the Jonestown Massacre. The 1978 event involved followers of Jim Jones, who died in a mass poisoning at the Peoples Temple settlement in Guyana. The tragedy remains one of the most infamous examples of mass death connected to a cult leader.
Tomlinson’s brief interview became an awkward moment for the network, which appeared to be seeking a favorable perspective from someone attending the Trump rally. Instead, the exchange produced a viral clip in which an attendee openly mocked the president’s supporters and described the gathering as a cult.
The reporter ultimately moved on to speak with other people at the event, leaving viewers with an unexpected example of how live interviews can quickly go in an entirely different direction than planned.