The Donald is rushed off the stage by Secret Service while speaking during Reno rally after a 'Republicans against Trump' protester causes chaos in the crowd over fears he had a gun 

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Secret Service agents rushed Donald Trump offstage on Saturday evening during a rally in Reno, Nevada after they determined a protester in the audience might pose a threat to the Republican presidential candidate.

'Go! Go!' agents shouted as they whisked Trump away and a combination of local police and private security wrestled Austyn Crites, 33, to the ground in the front of the crowd.

Crites identifies as a Republican who supports Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, according to his Facebook page. 

A senior Trump campaign official told DailyMail.com that the suspect, whom rally-goers already identified as an anti-Trump protester, caused a panic when he reached into his waistband.

At that point, the campaign official said, a voice called out: 'He's got a gun!'

Trump's protective detail sprang into action, pulling him offstage as a sea of bodies scattered, screams rang out and authorities dragged Crites away as he kicked and strained. 

Secret Service agents rushed Donald trump offstage on Saturday evening in Reno, Nevada after they determined that a protester in the audience posed a threat to the Republican presidential candidate

Security personnel rush off stage after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was escorted away during a rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada on Saturday

Members of the Secret Service acted quickly to remove Trump from the Reno-Sparks Convention Center without incident

The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement that 'a commotion' had occurred 'in the crowd immediately in front of the stage' and 'an unidentified individual shouted, "gun".'

'Secret Service agents and Reno police officers immediately apprehended the subject. 

Upon a thorough search of the subject and the surrounding area, no weapon was found,' the statement added.

Authorities never confirmed early reports that Crites or any civilians at the rally had a firearm. 

One witness told DailyMail.com that a holstered gun was spotted on the hip of a plainclothes officer, adding to the confusion.  

Just before the fracas, Trump could be seen shielding his eyes from the lights in order to peer into the crowd as a struggle broke out. 

Three agents then stormed the stage and hustled the Republican presidential candidate away.   

Crites, who has since been released, appeared on local newscasts saying he had merely been holding a sign that read 'Republicans Against Trump.'

When he reached into his waistband, however, police and good Samaritans took the man down.

The crowd surged backward in fright and strained against metal barriers enclosing the press section. 

'CNN sucks!' one man yelled. 'You people caused this!'

Federal agents and tactical officers from Reno Police removed the man from the rally on Saturday. He has since been identified as 33-year-old Austyn Crites

At this time a motive is not clear. Authorities placed the man in a bathroom near a secure entrance where Trump's motorcade and the press vehicles were staged

Austyn Crites, 33, (pictured) was detained by Secret Service after trying to raise a flag that read 'Republicans Against Trump' when someone yelled 'gun' causing a panic during the rally

Witness Donald Newton, 45, of California who was in the crowd at the time, said he was next to Crites, who he said was holding a sign and started heading toward the stage.

'He had something on his belly. I don't know what it was,' Newton told the Reno Gazette-Journal. 

'Somebody yelled "gun" and everyone jumped on him. My friend put his knee on his head, but he kept getting up.'

Federal agents and tactical officers from Reno Police removed Crites and placed him in a bathroom near a secure entrance where Trump's motorcade and the press vehicles were staged.

SWAT officers with high-powered rifles guarded the entrance to the restroom while reporters milled outside.

Television footage showed the white male suspect pinioned on the ground by officers and searched, before he was led away from the convention center. 

Police officers and U.S. Secret Service rush a man in handcuffs out of the rally on Saturday

Audience members at the front of the crowd reportedly said they saw the man raise up a sign before a scuffle ensued

Crites told the Guardian that he was terrified how the crowd responded during the chaotic moment.

'I was in survival mode. I knew I could die at that moment,' Crites told the Guardian.

Crites was punched and kicked, and his neck was placed in a chokehold, he said.

At one point someone in the crowed even grabbed his testicles as he feared for his life.

While he is a Republican, he has a couple of posts on his Facebook with Clinton's logo and an American flag with the words, 'Nevada Republicans proudly voting for Secretary Clinton.'

'I understand that this election has people torn, but we must chose HOPE over HATE,' one post appearing on his Facebook page read.

Later on Saturday he wrote a post on his Facebook, which was slammed with negative comments and appears to have since been taken down, recounting Saturday's ordeal.  

Crites identifies as a Republican who supports Clinton. He said he was terrified how the crowd responded in the chaotic moment

'Hi all, Not sure if you saw the news today, but I was beat up at a Trump rally for holding a sign and falsely accused of having a gun. I am ok and have been released,' Crites wrote.

'I have NO connection to the Clinton campaign apart from me supporting her HOPE over Trump’s HATE. 

'I have canvassed for her for about 3 hours, have contributed to her campaign, and voted for her. 

'Though I do not agree with many of Hillary’s policies, we cannot allow a fascist/dictator to take our beloved freedoms to simply boost his ego and “get back” at anyone who disagrees. 

'Take what happened to me tonight as a classic example of dictator incident of violence – against your own Republican brother with a stupid sign. 

'I am a Republican and cannot support Trump and his decisive rhetoric. This election cycle we all know what we need to do. PLEASE STAND UP WITH ME AND STOP TRUMP!’ 

His brother, Cary Crites, also wrote in Facebook post, noting that his brother was okay.

'Hey friends, in case you’re wondering, my brother Ty is ok after this whole Trump rally thing. I guess this is how people are treated when they raise a “Republicans Against Trump” sign at a dictator’s hype session,' he wrote.

'For reference: He is a Republican that has deep concerns over the damage Trump would have as leader of our nation. 

'Went to the Trump rally in Reno, where he lives, held up the sign, then was beat down by a mob. Someone screamed “gun”, and the situation got ugly. Nevadan friends, you’re better than this.'

The Secret Service said a thorough investigation into Saturday's incident is ongoing.

While authorities said no gun was found, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr retweeted a post on Twitter shared by special projects director at Citizens for Trump, Jack Posobiec who inaccurately described Saturday as an 'assassination attempt.'

'Hillary ran away from rain today. Trump is back on stage minutes after assassination attempt,' Posobiec tweeted.

Others including Trump campaign social media director Dan Scavino Jr also retweeted the post inaccurately calling the incident an assassination attempt. 

A short time after the fracas, Trump returned onstage and addressed the audience as he continued his rally speech, appearing unrattled by the scuffle and spoke with his usual self-confidence.

Later on Saturday he wrote a post on his Facebook, which was slammed with negative comments and appears to have since been taken down, recounting Saturday's ordeal

'Nobody said it was going to be easy for us,' he declared. 'But we will never be stopped. Never, never be stopped.'

'I want to thank the Secret Service. These guys are fantastic. They don't get enough credit. They don't get enough credit. They're amazing people.'

Trump had spotted the protester and described him as a Hillary Clinton supporter before asking security to 'take him out.'

As he returned to his speech, he thanked a group of fans near the stage who had stepped in to subdue his would-be attacker.

'You were amazing, fellas,' he said.

'I saw what you were doing. That's a tough group of people right there... Nobody messes with our people, right?'

Secret Service agents escorted the Republican presidential candidate from the Reno-Sparks Convention Center without incident.

He and his staff made it aboard his custom Boeing 757, dubbed 'Trump Force One,' for of a flight to Denver where he will hold the day's fourth rally in as many stages.

Just before the fracas, Trump could be seen shielding his eyes from the lights in order to peer into the crowd as a struggle broke out

Police officers stand guard backstage after Trump was hustled off the stage by security agents

Trump issued a brief statement before the plane took off, but shed no new light on what had happened.

'I would like to thank the United States Secret Service and the law enforcement resources in Reno and the state of Nevada for their fast and professional response,' Trump said.

'I also want to thank the many thousands of people present for their unwavering and unbelievable support. Nothing will stop us – we will make America great again!'

Trump and his traveling press corps had flown five hours from coastal North Carolina to western Nevada on Saturday to appeal to rock-ribbed conservatives in the key battleground state.

His 11th-hour punches left a mark on the U.S. Senate's most senior Democrat.

'Don't let crazy, broken Harry Reid and his corrupt political machine decide this election,' Trump said, painting the retiring Nevada senator as 'a political hack.'

The Republican presidential nominee has warned his devoted followers for nearly a year that America's elections – both primaries and general – are 'rigged', with him getting specific in Reno.  

Trump later returned and addressed the audience minutes later following the scary ordeal

Trump thanked the Secret Service saying: 'These guys are fantastic. They don't get enough credit. They don't get enough credit. They're amazing people.'

Supporters watch as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno

'It's being reported that certain key Democratic polling locations in Clark County were kept open for hours and hours beyond closing time to bus and bring Democratic voters in,' he claimed, referring to the Las Vegas metro area on the state's southern tip.

'Folks, it's a rigged system. It's a rigged system and we're going to beat it. We're going to beat it.'

Saturday's incident marked the second time Secret Service had to intervene to protect the GOP's standard-bearer.

In March a man leaped over a police barricade during a Trump rally at an airport hangar in Dayton, Ohio.

Thomas Dimassimo was charged with disorderly conduct and inciting panic, but he never reached the stage.

Secret Service tackled him when he was still several yards away from the candidate.

'I was ready for him, but it’s much easier if the cops do it, don’t we agree?' Trump said at the time.

'And to think I had such an easy life! What do I need this for, right?'

Separately, in September a British man pleaded guilty to trying to grab a Las Vegas police officer's gun so he could assassinate Trump.

The June incident at the Treasure Island hotel-casino did not put the Republican in any immediate danger.  

Trump issued a brief statement before the plane took off, but shed no new light on what had happened