“It reminded me of a [Ku Klux] Klan rally,” Beam said. “It had that hateful aspect. It was the way they cheered, the anger in it. . . . You can disagree with a government policy, but that doesn’t prompt you to put a stick up his [backside] and incite the crowd to say how many of you want to see him be trampled by a bull. To wish that on somebody is hateful.”…

Gessling could not be reached for comment, but one of his cousins, Dennis Gessling, defended him in an interview. “They’re just blowing it way out of proportion — the mainstream media, the leftists, you name it,” he said. “He doesn’t mean any disrespect. . . . He is a comedian for the rodeo, and he was there to entertain the crowd. It is no different than a Jay Leno, a Jimmy Fallon, a Conan O’Brien.”

On Facebook, fans began a support group for Gessling. It had more than 60,000 “likes” by late Thursday. One organizer posted that Gessling is grateful for the support and is trying to arrange some public appearances.

The incident has been a flash point for Obama’s supporters as well. Ficken, who is superintendent of the nearby Boonville School District, has received several threats, some extremely violent and personal, his lawyer said.