Vice Reporter Arrested Outside Trump Rally In Houston

Trump’s campaign – which has blacklisted a number of organizations from its events – told Vice News their request to cover the Houston stop was “pending”.

Vice said Thompson was held for 11 hours, released just after midnight Sunday on a $500 bond. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether it asked police to arrest and remove Thompson.

Alex Thompson, a reporter for Vice News, was arrested in Houston Saturday for allegedly trespassing at a Donald TrumpDonald TrumpFULL SPEECH: Trump speaks in Estero, Florida Sizing up Robert Gates’ criticism of Donald Trump Trump: Not looking to address Clinton’s marriage in debate MORE event, the news outlet said.

VICE News requested access to the event earlier this week and was told by the Trump campaign that its status was “pending”. Management then advised Thompson he would be arrested if he refused to leave. Caulderwood and the camera operator exited to film a protest outside, while Thompson stayed in the lobby.

The manager then apparently escorted a police officer to Thompson’s location to have him removed from the premises.

Multiple calls and emails seeking comment from the Omni Westside Hotel were unanswered, as were inquiries to Omni’s corporate communications staff.

Vice News reported that Thompson was not given the opportunity to explain himself to police or to counter the hotel manager’s account of the story.

The Houston Police Department said Saturday that Thompson had been asked to leave the hotel twice.

Thompson asked why he was not being read his rights, and one officer said that he was not required to do so.

Before joining VICE, Thompson worked as an editorial assistant to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, according to Thompson’s Linkedin page.