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News of the couple’s expected appearance, first reported by The Washington Post, comes as Republicans prepare for an unorthodox convention, as part of efforts to energize voters during a pandemic and enter into the last three months of the campaign. Democrats kicked off their party’s national convention on Monday in an evening of programming starred by former First Lady Michelle Obama, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, among others.
A Trump Victory spokesman and a Republican official confirmed to CNN on Monday that former Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann, Andrew Pollack, Parkland’s father, shooting victim, Meadow Pollack, anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson , South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Pennsylvania Congressman Sean Parnell will also be among the speakers at the Republican convention. The lineup, which is still being formed, was first reported by Breitbart News.
The McCloskeys came to the country’s attention in late June after they were seen in a viral video wielding guns outside their mansion of protesters marching down a private street on their way to protest outside the mayor’s residence in St. Louis. The Missouri couple were charged in July with unlawful use of a weapon, a Class E felony.
The White House has defended the couple on several occasions, with White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany telling reporters at the time that President Donald Trump “said it was absolutely absurd, which is happening to the McCloskeys. “.
In videos obtained by CNN, Mark McCloskey holds a long gun and Patricia McCloskey holds a handgun as protesters protesting Mayor Lyda Krewson’s decision to release the names and addresses of people in favor of police reform , left the house. Portland Place, the private street where the McCloskeys live, is close to Krewson’s house.
Daniel Shular, a local reporter, took one of the videos and said he watched the entire incident lasting about 10 minutes unfold. About 500 protesters were crossing Portland Place, according to Shular, to bypass nearby road closures that blocked access to the mayor’s home.
“A door next to the Portland Place gate was unlocked and protesters walked through it to cross the neighborhood and get to Krewson’s house,” he told CNN.
That’s when Shular says the McCloskeys came out of the house with the guns. At one point in Shular’s 31-second video, Patricia McCloskey points the handgun at the protesters. In several videos, it appears the McCloskeys and protesters are exchanging words, but what is said is unclear.
Mark McCloskey has defended his actions towards the protesters, saying last month he “imminently feared they would run over me, kill me.”
“I was a scared person for my life, protecting my wife, my house, my home, my livelihood. I was the victim of a mob that came through the door,” he told Chris. Cuomo from CNN at the time.
McCloskey said it was “ridiculous” to see him as the face of opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement after the incident.
“I didn’t care what color they were. I don’t care what their motivation was,” he said. “I was scared. I was assaulted.”
This story has been updated with additional reports on the RNC speaker lineup.
CNN’s Madeline Holcombe, Paul P. Murphy, Alisha Ebrahimji and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.
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