James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:25 P.M. EDT
MS. MCENANY: Hello, everyone. Law and order are the building blocks to the American Dream, but if anarchy prevails, this dream comes crum- — comes crumbling down. Anarchy in our streets is unacceptable, and anger is not enough. You have a President committed to action.
The DOJ has arrested over 100 anarchists for rioting and destruction of federal property. The DOJ has also charged four men in federal court for attempting to tear down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square. The FBI has over 200 open domestic terrorism investigations ongoing. AG Barr has created a task force on violent anti-government extremists led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Northern Texas.
With 200 Trump-appointed judges confirmed, the rule of law will be upheld. Democrats at all lev- — at all levels — federal, state, and local — have done nothing. Senate Democrats blocked bipartisan police reform. Minnesota’s Democrat governor failed to urgently deploy the National Guard — it took President Trump for that to eventually happen; his suggestion — and the ultimate descendance into chaos there in Minneapolis.
Three Democrat Minneapolis councilmembers voted to abolish the police, while they themselves were getting a private security detail. That’s quite rich.
Democrat mayor of Seattle called the CHOP zone — the autonomous zone — “the summer of love.” It is anything but that with one dead, multiple shootings, and desperate pleas for help unanswered by business owners and others.
Eleven people were shot in 12 hours this weekend in the Democrat-run New York City. And 61 people were shot in Democrat-run Chicago, and 15 fatally killed — a Democrat state, a Democrat city.
President Trump stands against defunding our brave police officers, caving to mob rule, and cancel culture which seeks to erase our history.
Let’s be clear: The rampant destruction of statues is not a part of any ideology, but this anarchy is aided by failed Democrat leadership. And as President Trump has tweeted, these statues, quote, “are great works of art, but all represent our History & Heritage, both the good and the bad. It is important for us to understand and remember, even in turbulent and difficult times, and to learn from them.”
So let’s stand for law and order, for peace in our streets, and against anarchy. This is President Trump’s vision for the future.
And with that, I’ll take questions.
Kristin.
Q Thank you, Kayleigh. I know you said that President Trump was never briefed on these reports about the Russian bounties and whatnot, but can you say that he was briefed today?
MS. MCENANY: Look, I’ll say this: that the U.S. receives thousands of reports a day on intelligence, and they are subject to strict scrutiny. While the White House does not routinely comment on alleged intelligence or internal deliberations, the CIA Director; NSA — National Security Advisor; and the Chief of Staff can all confirm that neither the President nor the Vice President were briefed on the alleged Russia — Russian bounty intelligence.
Q But has he been since briefed since all of these reports came out?
MS. MCENANY: So, let me back up and say this: that there is no consensus within the intelligence community on these allegations, and, in effect, there are dissenting opinions from some in the intelligence community with regards to the veracity of what’s being reported. And the veracity of the underlying allegations continue to be evaluated.
Q And one more question, if I could: Was he upset that this intelligence was reportedly shared with the British government, but not him?
