As Kristinn Taylor of the Gateway Pundit reported, a protester ‘got very close’ as he threw Russian flags at President Donald Trump as he walked though the Capitol Building with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) on his way to a lunch meeting on tax legislation with Republican senators.
CBS News posted a video clip of Trump and McConnell walking as the flags were thrown. A voice can be heard yelling about “treason”.
WATCH: Pres. Trump arrives on Capitol Hill for lunch with Senate GOP, as his feud with Sen. Corker escalates https://t.co/i6O2iANctF pic.twitter.com/WN9d8HuWH3
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 24, 2017
Security at the scene was apparently quite lax as the protester had clear aim at the President and it was several seconds before any apparent reaction took place.
Erica Werner with the AP posted a photo of one of the flags, “Protester ID’d self as Ryan Clayton from Americans Take Action got very close to Trump and threw these flags at him”
Protester ID’d self as Ryan Clayton from Americans Take Action got very close to Trump and threw these flags at him pic.twitter.com/hIk1v2qpHS
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) October 24, 2017
President Donald Trump’s entrance to senate lunch was interrupted by a protester who threw Russian flags and shouted “Trump is treason” pic.twitter.com/7BnxcxSLXH
— Tara Golshan (@taragolshan) October 24, 2017
According to Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe, Ryan Clayton is a well known agitator who once harassed one of his female reporters.
“Ryan Clayton, the guy who was just arrested on nat TV once accosted and verbally harassed a young female- one of my undercover reporters,” tweeted O’Keefe.
Ryan Clayton, the guy who was just arrested on nat TV once accosted and verbally harassed a young female- one of my undercover reporters. pic.twitter.com/ttVc8eLYls
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) October 24, 2017
The same man who infiltrated a private event to harass @JamesOKeefeIII and verbally assaulted a young female journalist down streets of DC. pic.twitter.com/3umgZNrNtu
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) October 24, 2017
He also followed and verbally harassed a young female journalist down the streets of DC pic.twitter.com/G9TYk2S1DM
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) October 24, 2017
As Breitbart News reporter Charlie Spiering tweeted, Clayton pulled the same gag at CPAC.
The Intercept writes:
Clayton is the head of the group Americans Take Action, and, as the name suggestions, is no stranger to direct-action tactics such as the one Tuesday. At the most recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Clayton tricked right-wing activists there into waving Russian flags while Donald Trump spoke.
He was also involved in a high-profile incident with conservative provocateur James O’Keefe, when Clayton secretly filmed a speech of O’Keefe’s at a fundraiser, and then interrupted it by breaking into song. He was dragged down the steps and tossed from the event.
Clayton, unsurprisingly, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Clayton also accosted a young female Project Veritas reporter. We have it all on video. pic.twitter.com/JYKK97kRO7
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) October 24, 2017
“Same guy (Ryan Clayton) verbally harasses young female journalist, chases her down the streets of DC,” points out O’Keefe.
WATCH: Same guy (Ryan Clayton) verbally harasses young female journalist, chases her down the streets of DC. pic.twitter.com/SAC57M6JLU
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) October 24, 2017
