White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt abruptly ended a news conference after facing tough questions over free speech.
Amid ongoing tensions over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, Leavitt held a briefing in which she accused Democrats of being responsible for “left wing riots” and doubled down on the president’s suggestion that many of the protesters involved were “paid insurrectionists.”
But things got testy when NOTUS reporter Jasmine Wright asked the press secretary about Saturday’s military parade in Washington, which will coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday.
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With hundreds of counter rallies expected across the country, Trump had earlier warned that protesters would be met with “heavy force” if they rained on his parade.
“If there were peaceful protests on Saturday for the military parade, President Trump would allow that?” Wright asked.
“Of course the president supports peaceful protests,” Leavitt clapped back. “What a stupid question.”
A few minutes later, the New York Times’ David Sanger returned to the issue of free speech, asking what type of protest Trump would support.
“Is the First Amendment the most important? Is stopping violence the most important? Why is he not out saying all peaceful protesters will be protected?” Sanger asked.
Leavitt answered that while the president supports free speech and the right to protest, “that is not the majority of the behavior that we have seen taking place in Los Angeles.”
“So are you saying the majority of these protests have not been peaceful?” Sanger continued.
A combatative Leavitt then pointed out that almost 400 illegal immigrants had been arrested, to which Sanger noted there had been thousands of people on the streets.
After a few more seconds of sparring, Leavitt concluded by saying the president would not stray from his mission to deport illegal immigrants from the country - and abruptly walked out without taking further questions.
The 26 minute briefing comes amid accusations of overreach by the Trump administration, which has so far sent almost 5000 troops, National Guard and Marines, to Los Angeles.
But the issue of the First Amendment is sensitive for the White House, given that Trump has long claimed to be a defender of free speech.
The First Amendment is meant to protect five fundamental freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.
Hours after he took his second-term oath of office, Trump signed an executive order describing his commitment to the First Amendment and the right to “speak freely in the public square without government interference.”
“Government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society,” his order said.
But this week, he has repeatedly warned that he would crush dissidents who stood in the way of his immigration agenda or his extravagant military parade.
“If there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” Trump said on Tuesday. “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
