Daily Caller reporter attacked by DC protesters outside White House

Although Talcott identified herself as a reporter, Reason editor Robby Soave, who witnessed the event, said she didn’t give her full name to protesters or fully identify which outlet she was affiliated with, telling them that she was “with the DC.”

According to Soave, several people attempted to remove Talcott’s phone from her hands, but she said she was able to hold on to it. Eventually, the police intervened, took Talcott behind police lines, and handcuffed her, which they claimed was for her own safety.

“They also told her that they could arrest her for unlawful assembly, treating her like she was a misbehaving member of the mob, rather than its target. When she objected that she was a journalist, they suggested her coverage of the protests was probably unfair. She was ultimately released,” Soave reported.

Talcott addressed the incident on Twitter, thanking those who reached out to her with messages of support.

“Dang, thanks for all of the messages,” she wrote. “Tonight I was accused of being a cop and assaulted by protesters. I was pushed towards the police line where some officers grabbed me and pulled me to safety. I was handcuffed but not arrested, and they released me in a safe area.”

Protests in the city, which have been ongoing since the death of George Floyd in police custody on Memorial Day, turned destructive on Monday as demonstrators attempted to set up what is being called the “Black House Autonomous Zone” or “BHAZ” near the White House. Protesters also attempted to tear down a statue of President Andrew Jackson but were prevented from doing so by the police.

Talcott was not the first member of the press to face animosity from demonstrators. Matthew Miller of the Daily Caller News Foundation reported earlier this month that he was surrounded and threatened by “15-20 ‘tough guys'” after protesters learned for whom he works.