Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner was seen in a viral video lambasting President Donald Trump as a "fascist." (Matthew Hatcher/Reuters; Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
"Because you support people who support hate," Krasner replied. "You don’t understand what it means to be a fascist, what people like Adolf Hitler do, how spreading hate, which is something that, frankly, the people you admire do, gets us closer to that."
Krasner then got personal, saying that Scales was "a 22-year-old who knows nothing [about what] he’s talking about" and called Scales’ outlet, Surge Philly, a "fake, non-existent paper."
It’s unclear whether Scales knew ahead of time that Krasner would be in the park or if the confrontation was the result of a chance meeting.
During the encounter, Krasner referenced an incident in which Scales disrupted a meeting in the city.
On Sept. 16, Scales participated in what the outlet WCAU described as a "brief disruption" during a town hall that Krasner was holding at the Salt & Life Church.
This was part of a series of talks the district attorney planned to discuss with the public the possibility of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to Philadelphia, as he had in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, WPVI-TV reported.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner speaks in Philadelphia, on Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Scales spoke about the incident in a video on X, saying that he did not attend the meeting with the intention of disrupting the district attorney. It was only after he was told that questions at the town hall had to be written on cards "so they can be vetted and read by a moderator" that he determined the event was no more than a "publicity stunt."
Two days later, on Sept. 18, Scales attempted to attend another one of Krasner’s town halls but was allegedly denied entry.
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Krasner, a vocal Trump critic, on Thursday urged officials to condemn the alleged politicization of the Justice Department, comparing it to Watergate.
"Justice requires evenhandedness and impartiality in order to function effectively. Sadly, Trump’s actions this week are another example of his toxic assault on constitutional norms," Krasner said in a statement. "I invite other elected officials to speak up, especially local and state prosecutors, against this egregious politicization of the Justice Department. The ongoing assault on our democracy by the Trump administration is not normal and must be called out at every opportunity."
Fox News Digital reached out to Scales and Krasner for comment.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/philadelphia-da-goes-tirade-about-fascist-trump-hitler-when-confronted-park-viral-video