‘What a stupid question’: Leavitt snaps at reporter for asking if Trump would allow ‘peaceful protests’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shot back at a reporter for asking a “stupid question” over potential protests at US President Donald Trump’s military parade on Saturday (Jun 14).

During a press briefing on Wednesday (Jun 11), a reporter asked Leavitt whether Trump would allow peaceful protests on Saturday after he issued a stark warning for any protestors who plan to disrupt the military parade in Washington.

Leavitt snapped at the reporter, saying, “Of course the president supports peaceful protests, what a stupid question.”

Leavitt earlier said that Trump “absolutely supports peaceful protests, he supports the First Amendment, he supports the right of Americans to make their voices heard.”

“He does not support violence of any kind, he does not support assaulting law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their jobs,” she added.

“It’s very clear for the president what he supports and what he does not,” Leavitt said. “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.”

Earlier on Tuesday (Jun 10), Trump said, “If there’s any protesters that want to come out, they will be met with very big force.”

“I haven’t heard about a protest, but you know, these are people that hate our country,” he said at the White House. “But they will be met with very heavy force.”

A large military parade and festival is set to take place on Saturday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army, which is also falling on Trump’s birthday. Hundreds of thousands of people have been estimated to witness the parade in Washington.

The Trump administration’s decision to deploy thousands of troops to Los Angeles has been met been heavy criticism by California authorities, who have called the president’s move “dictatorial” and “un-American”. The protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles have now spread across several other cities in the US.

“The president supports the right of Americans to peacefully protest, he supports the First Amendment, but that is not the majority of the behaviour that we have seen taking place in Los Angeles,” Leavitt said. “We have seen mobs of violent rioters and agitators assaulting law enforcement officers, assaulting our federal immigration authorities.”