"Maybe he should've been roughed up," said Donald Trump of the black protester who was kicked and punched at his rally.

Trump was responding this morning to Mercutio Southall Jr. being thrown to the ground at a rally yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, which was partially captured in a widely circulated video taken by CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond. 

The Washington Post reports the fight broke out after Southall started yelling, “Black lives matter.” Trump responded, “Get him the hell out of here, will you please?” 

The Post also reports that Trump’s strong lead in the GOP primary race is holding steady.