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“He supports the First Amendment. He supports the right of Americans to make their voices heard,” said Leavitt.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized on Wednesday that while President Donald Trump respects the First Amendment right to peaceful protest, he strongly opposes those who engage in criminal conduct. This comes as the Trump administration sent thousands of US National Guard troops and hundreds of US Marines to Los Angeles to quell the ongoing anti-ICE riots, which erupted on June 6 following large-scale apprehensions of illegal migrants in the county.
A reporter asked Leavitt during a White House press briefing, “Can you clarify what kind of protest President Trump does support of find acceptable?
Leavitt responded, “The president absolutely supports peaceful protest. He supports the First Amendment. He supports the right of Americans to make their voices heard.”
She then emphasized that Trump has a zero tolerance policy for violent protesters, saying, “He does not support assaulting law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their job. It’s very clear to the president what he supports and what he does not. Unfortunately, for Democrats, that line has not been made clear, and they’ve allowed this unrest and violence to continue and the president has had to step in.”
