Pre-Planned Stunt
Many Americans are furious after Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday attended an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts, but walked out in what even President Trump admitted was a staged act of supposed outrage. The Vice President walked out when several NFL players, silently protesting police killings of Black people and racial oppression and inequality, took a knee.
But Monday morning, clearly responding to multiple reports proving the Trump-Pence protest was a political stunt – and an expensive one at that – President Trump pushed back, via Twitter:
It is unclear any of that is true.
Just how staged was Pence’s walkout?
Pence was only scheduled to be on the ground in Indianapolis for two hours before flying to California for a fundraiser.Â
NBC News National Correspondent Peter Alexander says reporters were told in advance he would be pulling this stunt:
And just how expensive was Pence’s stunt?
CNN is reporting about a quarter of a million dollars, not including “advance personnel, Secret Service or support on the ground.”
But Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy suggested it cost millions:
Meanwhile, Trump’s claim that Pence is “receiving great praise” is also false. Even conservatives are saying it was a pre-planned stunt, and not a good one:
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