The nurse who went viral after getting punched in the face at a pro-Trump rally that turned violent has now lost her job at UMass Memorial Hospital, according to the Boston Herald. Therese Duke said she was in the midst of a crowd of “like-minded” supporters of President Donald Trump “looking for a place to eat” when the skirmish occurred.
Police reports indicate that pro-Trump supporters and a “counter-protest” group were demonstrating around Black Lives Matter plaza. Duke explained that she saw a woman, law enforcement officer Ashanti Smith, filming the crowd. After Duke reached for the phone, Smith, a Black woman, sucker punched her in the face. Smith was arrested and charged with simple assault and pleaded not guilty during an arraignment on Jan. 6.
“I did nothing wrong,” Duke told the Boston Herald. “I was the one who was assaulted.” Duke’s name became public after her 18-year-old daughter tweeted the video while mocking her for being involved in the violence. The video has now been viewed more than 12 million times. Read more…