'Egregious Abuse of Power': Trump Condemns Charges Against Armed St. Louis Couple
President Donald Trump believes St. Louis’ top prosecutor committed an “egregious abuse of power” in charging a couple who last month displayed guns at protesters who had broken into their gated community, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday.
McEnany appeared on the Fox News program “Fox & Friends” and was asked about St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s decision to file felony unlawful use of a weapon charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey. The couple in their early 60s are both lawyers.
The McCloskeys were not arrested but were issued summons to appear in court. Their first hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31.
Gardner said in an interview with The Associated Press that she will not seek jail time but will recommend a diversion program such as community service.
Protesters were marching to the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson when they veered onto a private street where the McCloskey’s $1.15 million home sits.
Mark McCloskey came out with a semi-automatic rifle and his wife emerged with a semi-automatic handgun, according to a probable cause statement filed in support of the charges.
No shots were fired, but Gardner said their actions risked creating a violent situation.
Mark McCloskey, on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show on Monday night, questioned why he and his wife were charged but protesters were not.
“It’s a bizarre, upside-down world,” McCloskey said.
McEnany agreed.
“Yes, he’s exactly right, this is an egregious abuse of power, is how the president described it, by the prosecutor, to make this decision,” she said, calling the charges “politically motivated nonsense.”
Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a brief asking that the charges be dismissed under the state’s “castle doctrine,” which allows homeowners to protect their property with deadly force if necessary.
Republican Gov. Mike Parson has said he will likely pardon the couple.
A police report said the couple heard a commotion and saw people break an iron gate marked with “No Trespassing” and “Private Street” signs. But a protest leader, the Rev. Darryl Gray, says the gate was open and protesters didn’t damage it.
The probable statement said that after Mark McCloskey came out with his rifle, his wife emerged, yelling at protesters and pointing her gun at them.
Protesters feared “being injured due to Patricia McCloskey’s finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanor,” the statement said.
A Democratic lawmaker who was at the protest said in a statement on Tuesday that no one stepped onto the McCloskeys’ property or threatened them.
Parson defended the McCloskeys.
“If you had a mob coming toward us, whether they tore down a gate or not, when they come on your property, they don’t have a right to do that in an aggressive manner,” Parson said on “The Sean Hannity Show” on Monday.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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