See updates and note below.
President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to the students from a conservative Catholic high school who stand accused of harassing and intimidating a Native American on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham broke the news and says they will meet with President Trump at the White House “as early as tomorrow.”
NCRM predicted Trump would invite the Covington Catholic students earlier Tuesday.
Many say the students mocked and harassed Nathan Phillips, the Native American elder and Vietnam veteran who was engaging in his First Amendment rights by practicing his religion and his free speech. The students claim they were not being disrespectful.
Monday night and Tuesday morning President Trump tweeted out support for the students – not the Vietnam Veteran – and said they “have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be.”
The President also claimed the teens from the all-male private Catholic high school, “had been “smeared by the media!”
The teens, seemingly unsupervised as they jumped up and down, made “war whoops” and “tomahawk chops,” were in D.C. to attend a rally to strip women of their constitutional rights. The “March for Life,” an annual anti-choice rally, attracts many from the far right and the religious right.
UPDATE: 2:31 PM ET –
More controversy. A CBS News White House producer says WH is calling Ingraham’s “EXCLUSIVE” report “inaccurate”:
Editor’s note: 4:27 PM ET –
Ingraham’s reporting is being partially challenged by a CBS News producer’s reporting. As usual with this the White House, they are refusing to give a straight answer.
Ingraham reported the Covington students will be meeting with President Trump. CBS News reports that all the White House would confirm is the students are not meeting with the President this week.
NCRM has reached out to Ingraham asking if she stands by her reporting. She has yet to respond.
That is literally all we know. We have shared all the details as they have become available and will continue to update this when there are new developments.
UPDATE: 6:01 PM ET –
Ingraham did not delete her tweet but apparently she posted a separate tweet, stating: “Now White House now seems to be in flux re. Covington Catholic kids. Announced any meeting would happen after shutdown. Odd as it would be less meaningful if delayed.”
That still does not match what CBS News reported.
Bottom line: It seems no one knows when this is happening.