President Trump defended the St. Louis couple who drew guns on protesters marching through their neighborhood late last month and hinted that he may take action in the case.
In a Tuesday interview with Townhall, Trump said the couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, were in harm’s way and alluded that they were in the right to defend themselves with their personal firearms.
“They were going to be beat up badly if they were lucky, OK, if they were lucky,” he said. “They were going to be beat up badly, and the house was going to be totally ransacked and probably burned down like they tried to burn down churches. These people were standing there, never used it, and they were legal, the weapons,” Trump said. “And now I understand somebody local, they want to prosecute these people. It’s a disgrace.”
The McCloskeys drew their weapons on June 28 outside their home as protesters marched through their gated neighborhood, demanding the resignation of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. The couple have defended themselves and claimed the protesters were threatening to kill them and take over their property.
Mark McCloskey has also previously said he supports the Black Lives Matter movement, which resurged after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, and that their decision to draw weapons had nothing to do with race.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, a Democrat, said she was investigating the McCloskeys after the incident, adding that she was “alarmed” by what she saw in the footage of the incident. Gardner took the side of the protesters, saying they were met with “violent assault” when the McCloskeys drew weapons on them.
Trump also called Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday and said he would try and do “everything in his power” in the McCloskey case, according to St. Louis-based FOX 2.
“That couple had every right to protect their property,” Parson said. “They had the ability to do that as private citizens, like everyone else. What they should not go through is a prosecutor attempting to take their constitutional rights away by filing charges against them for protecting their property.”
“I just got off the phone with the president before I walked out here today. He understands the situation in Missouri. He understands the situation in St. Louis and how out of control it is for a prosecutor to let violent criminals off, and not do their job, and attack law-abiding citizens,” he added. “The conversation I had with the president said that he would do everything within his power to help with this situation. He would be taking action to do that. I am thankful he is getting involved in this situation. I am thankful that he is going to stand up for people and their legal rights.”
Al Watkins, the attorney for the McCloskeys, transferred one of their firearms to the police. Authorities reportedly wanted the gun in their possession to be sure that it wasn’t operable. Watkins took the gun as evidence after the incident in case charges were filed.
