White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Tuesday attacked St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s decision to file criminal charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey for pointing their firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters in their neighborhood.
“He said it is absolutely absurd what is happening to the McCloskeys,” McEnany said during a press briefing when asked what President Donald Trump’s response was to Gardner charging the couple with unlawful use of a weapon.
Trump believes the charges are “an extreme abuse of power,” the press secretary told reporters.
She argued that the McCloskeys were “defending themselves” and “completely within their right” to wave the guns at the protesters.
McEnany did not indicate whether Trump would get involved, as Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) said last week. Al Watkins, a lawyer for the McCloskeys, told TPM last week that he had been in contact with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, though he did not elaborate.
Watch McEnany below:
Trump thinks the criminal charges against the gun couple are "absolutely absurd," McEnany says. pic.twitter.com/gOkfb9OPNr
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 21, 2020
