WASHINGTON, D.C.—A controversial video went viral Monday showing President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump brandishing guns as a mostly peaceful group of reporters approached the White House. Trump held an AR-15 and Melania waved around a semiautomatic pistol as reporters neared the White House, presumably to ask questions.
The reporters claimed they were just there for a press briefing, but Trump claims the reporters threatened to destroy his presidency and that his standing there with guns was simply a form of defense.
“What do you want?” Trump is heard asking the reporters in the video.
“We’re just here to ask questions,” one reporter says.
“What questions? Why questions?” Melania demanded.
“Maybe now is not a good time,” a reporter answered.
“Move along!” Trump shouted.
Some call the Trumps' actions an unhinged, over-the-top reaction to journalists that’s almost as bad as telling them to learn to code, while others think the Trumps responded reasonably to reporters’ histories of targeting politicians and even random citizens for destruction. Trump and Melania lost some support from Republicans too, however, due to their lack of trigger discipline.
After the journalists left the White House, they reportedly went on to dox a nearby man for old tweets.