The couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters will speak at the Republican National Convention

Content warning: This story contains details of racism and threats of violence that readers may find disturbing

United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that the St. Louis couple Patricia and Mark McCloskey, who infamously pointed guns at and threatened Black Lives Matter protesters in front of their mansion, will speak at the Republican National Convention. The decision has been viewed as highly controversial, though critics of the President and his party strongly believe that it does not come as a surprise. The McCloskeys are only some of the speakers lined up for the convention. Other major speakers include President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Andrew Pollack, whose son Meadow Pollack was killed in the Parkland school shooting.

The incident that led to the McCloskey's rise to fame occurred in late June this year, when Black Lives Matter protesters marched their way to the mayor's home in St. Louis. Feeling "threatened" by the group's presence, the couple appeared outside their home—armed. Mark McCloskey held an assault rifle while Patricia McCloskey held a handgun. The husband claimed that he was scared and was therefore valid in his reaction. "I didn’t care what color they were," he said in an interview with CNN following the incident. "I didn’t care what their motivation was. I was frightened. I was assaulted." No assault actually took place and the McCloskeys were eventually charged with the unlawful use of a weapon.

The charge is what pushed the couple to become the right-wing's "cause célèbre," as Martin Pengelly, writing for The Guardian, described it. Several Republicans, including Mike Parson, the Republican Governor of Missouri, rose to their support. Parson, in particular, called the charge "outrageous." Some senior figures, such as Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, called for a civil rights investigation into the matter. Most notably, President Trump also came to the McCloskeys' defense. However, for prosecutor Kim Gardner, who is the first African American circuit attorney in St. Louis, it was a nightmare. Referring to the Ku Klux Klan's 19th and 20th-century tactics, she told The Washington Post at the time, "This is a modern-day night ride, and everybody knows it. And for a President to participate in it is scary."

What is even scarier is the fact that the McCloskeys are now the manifestation of everything that the Republican Party represents: bigotry and a strong disregard for democratic values. To drive this point home, the couple will not be the only ones to back incumbent President Trump. South Dakota Governor Noem, who recently gifted Trump a model of Mount Rushmore with his head next to those of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, will also be making a speech. Another speaker scheduled for the Republican National Convention is Alice Johnson, an advocate for criminal justice reform who had a life sentence for cocaine trafficking commuted in 2018. Most curiously, the event will also feature Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate. Despite fears already looming about whether the upcoming Presidential elections will truly be fair and free, the President has chosen to deliver his address at the White House. This is sure to be an interesting one.