A group of protesters confronts Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao with @ProPublica’s audio of children separated from their families at the border while leaving a @Georgetown event. pic.twitter.com/jRKHKBeFpC
— Jesus Rodriguez (@jesusrodriguezb) June 26, 2018
Video of a protest outside the home of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to show a staffer or member of McConnell’s security detail pushing a protester.
Late Tuesday afternoon, a small group confronted McConnell and his wife, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao as they left their home. In the video, four protesters and one person filming from behind slowly approach the couple playing audio of children who were forcibly separated from their families as a result of the Trump Administration’s zero tolerance border policy.
Over the audible sound of crying children, the protesters ask, calmly at first, and then increasingly louder, “Why are you separating families? Why are you separating families? Why are you separating families?”
Eventually, Chao responds, “Why don’t you leave my husband alone? Why don’t you leave my husband alone?”
The protesters ignore Chao’s question and continue to repeat their initial question before eventually shifting to, “How does he sleep at night? How does she sleep at night?” Amidst this, a blonde woman repeatedly shouts “Back up! Back up! Back up!”
The scene is mildly hectic as a man arms his way through the small crowd in order to open the backseat driver’s side door for Chao. Then Chao’s handler doubles back and returns to the crowd to drag his boss away from the protesters while her finger is still in the air and pointed at the demonstrators.
As Chao and McConnell make their way into the waiting vehicle untouched and unharmed, a blonde woman and the protesters all continue to shout their respective directives and questions.
One of the protesters, wearing what appears to be a white, long-sleeve button-down shirt and a black backpack, moves forward and raises one hand in a frustrated gesture. The blonde woman continues to shout “Back up!” at the man before eventually shoving him once. Then she places her hands on his chest and pushes him again as the video cuts out.
The blonde woman has yet to be identified.
Law&Crime reached out to Senator McConnell’s office for comment but no response was forthcoming at the time of publication.
[image via screengrab]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher
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