How did a Proud Boys leader with a felony record get into the White House? – By Roger Sollenberger (Salon) / Dec 15 2020
Enrique Tarrio claims he visited the White House on Saturday, hours before a major pro-Trump rally
The chairman of the white nationalist Proud Boys group, a convicted felon, posted photos from inside the White House gates ahead of a violent pro-Trump rally in Washington DC on Saturday, raising new questions about the president’s apparent embrace of the right-wing agitators.
Enrique Tarrio revealed that he visited the executive mansion on Saturday after receiving a “last-minute invite to an undisclosed location.” The White House later said that Tarrio had not been invited, but had instead taken part in a holiday tour. “He was on a public White House Christmas tour,” White House spokesperson Judd Deere said over the weekend. “He did not have a meeting with the president, nor did the White House invite him.”
White House public tours are self-guided, and anyone who wants one, including Christmas tours, must apply no fewer than 21 days ahead of their booking date.
Part of the reason: The application includes a security form and background check. Hopefuls with a felony are as a rule denied, a former Trump White House official told Salon, unless a senior member of the administration intervenes.
