The St. Louis couple who made worldwide headlines in late June for defending their family from threats by Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home, spoke on the first night at the Republican National Convention. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, well-known Democrat activists and civil rights attorneys in St. Louis, called for Americans to re-elect President Donald Trump.
“At this moment in history, if you stand up for yourself and for the values our country was founded on, the mob—spurred on by their allies in the media—will try to destroy you,” Mark McCloskey said.
“You’ve seen us on your TV screens and Twitter feeds. You know we’re not the kind of people who back down. Thankfully, neither is Donald Trump,” he added. “President Trump will defend the God-given right of every American to protect their homes and their families.”
“When we don’t have basic safety and security in our communities, we will never be free to build a brighter future for ourselves, for our children, and for our country,” Patricia McCloskey said. “That’s what’s at stake in this election. And that’s why we must reelect Donald Trump.”
The McCloskeys were charged in July for “unlawful use of a weapon” after they exited their home with guns in self defense as BLM protesters shouted threats outside their home in late June. The couple say that they were in fear for their lives. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson called the charges “outrageous” and said he would “without a doubt” pardon the couple if they are convicted.
Mark and Patricia McCloskey's full remarks at the @GOPconvention#RNC2020 pic.twitter.com/8M9UlMYpTe
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) August 25, 2020
In remarks to the RNC late Monday, the couple spoke in support of the Second Amendment—to keep and bear arms—while warning of the potential threat to that freedom posed by Democrats.
“America is such a great country that you not only have the right to own a gun and use it to defend yourself, but thousands of Americans will offer you free advice on how to use it. At least that’s what we experienced,” Patricia McCloskey said. “But in all seriousness, what you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country.”
Mark McCloskey said that “it seems as if Democrats no longer view the government’s job as protecting honest citizens from criminals, but rather protecting criminals from honest citizens.” He said that Democrats have called for defunding the police, ending cash bail “so criminals can be released back out on the streets the same day to riot again,” and encouraging anarchy on the streets.
–NTD and wire services
