Maxine Waters' Showdown with Armed Agents Amid LA Riots
Federal authorities reprimand Maxine Waters for supposedly antagonizing national guardsmen, spreading supposedly false information regarding riots, and attempting to gain entry into a detention facility.
In the midst of heated tensions during the LA riots, Rep. Maxine Waters found herself locked in a standoff with armed agents at a detention center.
A top Homeland Security official unleashed a scathing rebuke against the Congresswoman for peddling false notions about the riots and attempting to barge into the facility to meet a detained union leader.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokesperson, spoke to Digital news outlet on Monday, chiding Waters for her "bullshit" about the riots' peacefulness and her relentless pursuit to breach the detention center.
When Waters approached a group of guardsmen attempting to enter a plywood-shielded door to the building over the weekend, the 86-year-old, 18-term Democrat introduced herself, but was brushed off by the last one who slammed the door in her face.
"As a result, Congresswoman Maxine Waters was turned away," McLaughlin commented, adding that access to the detention center was restricted for the safety of both detainees and security personnel.
The confrontation between Waters and the National Guard members made headlines, as the Congresswoman was heard shouting, "YOU BETTER SHOOT STRAIGHT!"
McLaughlin commenced her rebuke by referencing this heated encounter, stating that the safety of DHS personnel, ICE agents, and detainees is paramount. She derided Waters' subsequent allegations that the riots had not been violent, declaring that the American public can witness the riots' brutality firsthand.
"Rioters have assaulted law enforcement officers, thrown rocks, set cars on fire, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and damaged taxpayer-funded property," McLaughlin asserted.
"The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is reprehensible, and Congresswoman Waters must call for it to cease," the DHS spokesperson continued.
After appearing on CNN, Waters claimed that "everybody was wondering what happened to" David Huerta, the SEIU leader detained during one of the immigration raids causing the riots. She stated that she was wearing a congressional emblem on her jacket, but the guardsmen refused her entry nevertheless.
She described the protests in the immediate area as "very small and remarkably peaceful - there was no animosity."
Waters also expressed concern over the presence of armed guardsmen, saying that "Trump has instigated all of this."
"My message to Donald Trump, you are a despicable human being — and you are using the poorest people in the land... to push your political agenda," Waters added in a separate statement.
According to McLaughlin, the DHS has evidence contradicting Waters' assertions about the peaceful nature of the riots.
"The American people can see with their own eyes the truth. Rioters have assaulted law enforcement officers, thrown rocks, set cars on fire, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and sculpted works of art upon taxpayer-funded property", she concluded.
When reached for comment, Waters' office remained unavailable.
- Maxine Waters' confrontation with armed National Guard members during the LA riots was met with a strong rebuke from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin calling out Waters for her unfounded claims about the peaceful nature of the riots and her attempts to enter a detention center.
- In response to Waters' allegations, Tricia McLaughlin provided evidence that contradicts her assertions, stating that rioters have been involved in violent activities such as assaulting law enforcement officers, setting cars on fire, defacing buildings, and damaging taxpayer-funded property.
- Besides politics and general news, the LA riots and the role of social-media in shaping public opinion have been a hot topic on crime-and-justice and entertainment forums, with Maxine Waters' standoff with armed agents at a detention center becoming a viral video on social media platforms.
