At Wednesday’s briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest blew off a request made to President Barack Obama by a federal government police union to honor the five Dallas police officers massacred last week by a Black Lives Matter supporter by illuminating the White House in blue.
“I can tell you that’s not something that we plan to do at this point,” Earnest said in response to a question by Fox News White House Correspondent Kevin Corke. After Earnest ran through all that Obama has done in response to the Dallas shooting–except showing the same level of support for gay marriage and breast cancer activists by lighting the White House in an unambiguous show of solidarity–an incredulous Corke asked Earnest a follow-up that doubled as a lifeline to give him a chance to reconsider. Earnest again blew off the request.
@kevincorke: "Has there been any consideration or any thought given to lighting The White House blue…" pic.twitter.com/xUpLtUVGla
— T. Grant Benson (@GrantB911) July 14, 2016
Transcript via the White House:
Kevin.
Q Thanks, Josh. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association announced on Friday that they may request to the White House that it be illuminated in blue in honor of the fallen officers in Dallas. Knowing that the White House has previously been illuminated, both in 2013 in pink for breast cancer awareness and again in 2015 in the wake of the same-sex marriage ruling by the Supreme Court, has there been any consideration or any thought given to lighting the White House in blue in honor of law enforcement?
MR. EARNEST: I don’t have much to say about the potential consideration. I can tell you that’s not something that we plan to do at this point. The President certainly has, in a variety of ways, acknowledged the tragedy and honored the life of the five Dallas police officers who were killed last week. The President, while he was overseas, ordered flags across the country lowered to half-staff as the nation mourns the loss of those police officers. And, of course, the President traveled to Dallas just yesterday to speak at the memorial service that was organized to honor their service and honor their sacrifice.And after that service concluded, the President spent more than an hour with the families of those who were lost and spent time visiting with some of those who were injured, including police officers who were injured in that shooting. So there are a variety of ways that the President and this administration have chosen to conspicuously demonstrate our deep gratitude and our solemn condolences in the aftermath of the shooting that claimed the lives of five police officers in Dallas last week.
Q So you’re not opposed to it, it’s just not something that the President has made a move on yet?
MR. EARNEST: Kevin, I think it’s appropriate for people to conclude that the President has chosen to acknowledge this loss and to pay tribute to these heroes in a variety of other ways, including ordering the flags lowered to half-staff, traveling to Dallas to speak at the memorial service, and spending a substantial amount of time after the service visiting with the families of those who were lost.”
The Gateway Pundit reported on Tuesday about the request by Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, made last Friday that had been ignored by President Obama to honor the slain Dallas officers by illuminating the White House in blue.
President Obama has no plans to light White House in blue as tribute to policehttps://t.co/tvRxNdIH8d
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) July 14, 2016
UPDATED with Fox & Friends video tweet of Kevin Corke Q&A with Josh Earnest.
