Trump supporter says he took beating after protesting Social Distortion singer's politics

Mike Ness, 56, is the lead singer of the punk rock band Social Distortion. (Instagram)

A supporter of President Trump claims that Mike Ness, lead singer of the rock band Social Distortion, spat on him and repeatedly punched him in the head after he protested Ness's criticism of the president at a concert.

The confrontation allegedly took place July 17 at a show in Sacramento, Calif., when concertgoer Tim Hildebrand, 30, held up his middle finger to convey his disagreement with Ness.

The 56-year-old lead singer was “badmouthing President Trump and America,” Hildebrand told CBS 13 Sacramento.

“I pretty much said, 'I paid for your music, not your politics,'” Hildebrand told the station. “I stood pretty much with my silent protest with my middle finger up for the next two songs.”

“I pretty much said, 'I paid for your music, not your politics.' I stood pretty much with my silent protest with my middle finger up for the next two songs.”

— Tim Hildebrand, supporter of President Trump

But Ness didn’t seem to take kindly to Hildebrand’s nonverbal expression. Cellphone video appears to show the lead singer motioning toward a fan in the crowd, before removing his guitar and jumping off stage. He then repeatedly throws punches for a brief moment until the camera cuts out.

Hildebrand, a Republican, said Ness took “his guitar off, jumps off the stage and proceeds to punch me multiple times in the head.”

He told the station that the singer spat in his face and that the two argued before Ness attacked him, resulting in two black eyes, a busted lip and a concussion.

“I wasn’t able to defend myself because people in the crowd were holding me back,” he said.

Security dragged Hildebrand out of the venue, where he met with officers and filed a police report, according to the station.

Sacramento police said they were investigating the incident, the station reported.

Hildebrand told the New York Times that he wasn’t the only fan to express displeasure with Ness’ political statements during the concert, as others walked out and yelled expletives toward the stage.

“If you can speak your mind but you can’t take a response or rebuttal,” he told the paper, “it shows a lot about your character.”

Social Distortion did not immediately return Fox News’ request for comment.