The Republican National Convention kicks off in Charlotte next week, and the speaker list continues to grow, with the McCloskeys now added to the list. The St. Louis couple made headlines after defending their home from protestors back in June.
McCloskeys to Speak at Republican National Convention
You remember them, right? By name, they go by Mark and Patricia McCloskey. But they forever earned a place in pop culture history for Mark’s pink polo, his AR-15, and Patricia’s handgun. When a massive crowd of protesters illegally broke through a gate and entered their gated community, the McCloskeys took a stand. And it went viral.
“There’s nothing public in Portland Place. Being inside that gate is like being in my living room,” Mark said in an interview. “One person pulled out a loaded pistol magazine and he clicked them together and he said, ‘You’re next.’ We were threatened with our lives, threatened with the house being burned down, my office building being burned down, even our dog’s life being threatened. It was about as bad as you can get.”
Fearing for their lives because of the death threats and the aggressiveness of some in the crowd, McCloskey and his wife went inside and retrieved their firearms, then stood guard outside.
“I went inside I got a rifle … because as soon as I said ‘this is private property,’ those words enraged the crowd,” McCloskey said further. “An absolute horde came through the smashed-down gates, coming right at the house. And then I stood out there, the only thing we said is, ‘This is private property, go back, private property, leave now.’ At that point everybody got enraged, there were people wearing body armor.”
McCloskeys Under Attack
For days following the incident, pundits across the country weighed in. The narratives mirrored political views mostly. Then the McCloskeys became equally vilified and championed. Finally, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed charges against the couple. They face one felony count each of Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
So now America’s most famous, or infamous, couple, depending on your political leaning (obviously, we believe in armed home defense), will get to speak to the American public, on the biggest of stages. The announcement immediately drew fire from the left.
So what does this all mean? Guns remain a pivotal issue heading into November. On one side, the Biden-Harris ticket rises like a cloud, the most anti-gun ticket in American history. Meanwhile, the incumbent, President Trump, earned the endorsement of the NRA and the 2A community.
