President Donald Trump prepares to depart John F. Kennedy International Airport Sept. 27, 2018. Photo by Shealah Craighead | White House
A group that has created fake media passes and has been sued for harassing Phoenix-area churches was given press passes to President Donald Trump’s arrival at Phoenix Sky Harbor by the Trump campaign.
AZ Patriots, a far-right activist group that splintered off from a similar group named Patriot Movement AZ, has been known in Arizona for its provocative antics that have gotten members barred from the Arizona House of Representatives and for its role in creating an internet meme.
On Monday, members of the group were present and among the White House press pool when Air Force One landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. AZ Patriots member Jeremy Bronaugh live-streamed the landing on Facebook, saying that he was given the press credential by a woman at the Latinos for Trump event.
“We got checked out by the secret service,” Bronaugh said on the stream. “Super, super nice.”
Bronaugh and other members of the group are also elected Arizona Repubican Party officials.
The group’s leader, Jennifer Harrison, appeared to have used fraudulent press credentials at an event with Donald Trump Jr. last year.
The event held at GCU on Oct. 22 was part of Turning Point USA’s Culture War tour, in which conservative speakers discuss hot button issues.
“AZ Patriots Media. Not fake news!” Harrison wrote in a since-deleted tweet. It was accompanied by four pictures of Harrison, Bronaugh and Mike Lee.
Hey @RSF_en is Jennifer Harrison actually a part of your organization like she is claiming on her press credentials in this photo? https://t.co/9ycgObPeOd
— Jerod MacDonald-Evoy (@JerodMacEvoy) October 22, 2019
Harrison did not attend Monday’s Trump event.
The Trump campaign has not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
Related News
