KENTON COUNTY, Ky. (WLWT)– A chaperone and politicians from both sides are commenting on an incident that happened in Washington, D.C. involving students from a Kentucky high school.
A video posted to social media over the weekend shows students from Covington Catholic High School and Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, engaging in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The teens have since faced backlash for reportedly mocking Phillips.
The teens deny the mocking, saying they felt they were unfairly portrayed as villains in a situation where they say they were not the instigators.
One parent chaperone who was there gave her thoughts on what happened.
“Our boys were targeted,” said Jill Hamlin. “They were targeted from the get go. Immediately, there were all these people running around filming.”
President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night and Tuesday morning that the students were treated unfairly and smeared by the media.
Looking like Nick Sandman & Covington Catholic students were treated unfairly with early judgements proving out to be false – smeared by media. Not good, but making big comeback! “New footage shows that media was wrong about teen’s encounter with Native American” @TuckerCarlson
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2019
Nick Sandmann and the students of Covington have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be. They have captivated the attention of the world, and I know they will use it for the good – maybe even to bring people together. It started off unpleasant, but can end in a dream!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2019
Also on Monday, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear told LEX 18 that he hopes the students will set a positive example going forward after being a part of something that Beshear said was “just wrong.”
“I hope every day they are better than they were on that day. That we all have a responsibility each and every day to live up to the values that we were raised with and I hope that the rest of their lives that they can set an incredibly positive example after being a part of something that was just wrong.”
State Representative John Yarmuth also commented on the incident.
The conduct we saw in this video is beyond appalling, but it didn’t happen in a vacuum. This is a direct result of the racist hatred displayed daily by the President of the United States who, sadly, some mistake for a role model. [2/2]
— Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) January 20, 2019
And if there was any question, I am a passionate supporter of the 1st Amendment. I will always defend the right to wear MAGA hats. Just not the un-American policies they represent.
— Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) January 20, 2019
State Senator Rand Paul shared his support for the students:
Please see this thread from my friend and the Congressman representing Covington, Kentucky. I urge everyone to stop going after people online with very little information, but rather carefully consider the facts here. These kids are taking all sorts of abuse they do not deserve. https://t.co/y8VgRysjiN
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 21, 2019
Unfortunately there is too often a rush to judgement from our media and social media these days. We should stop and look at the facts first.
The Media Wildly Mischaracterized That Video of Covington Catholic Students. https://t.co/NATjAQNqVW
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 21, 2019
Governor Bevin broke his silence Tuesday morning:
Had hoped to avoid weighing in on the ongoing drama surrounding the now infamous video of some HS students in Washington DC…But many in the media and privately have asked for my thoughts…Frankly, I am saddened by the whole thing…
— Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) January 22, 2019
It was amazing how quick those who preach tolerance and non-judgment of others were to judge and label some high school students based on partial information…There are none more intolerant than liberals who don’t like your options, values, faith beliefs, political stance, etc
— Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) January 22, 2019
In a world where we have a wealth of information at our fingertips, we have increasingly little discernment and wisdom…
Facts matter…The truth matters…Context matters…
A little more genuine caring for one another and a little less digital vitriol would be good for all..
— Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) January 22, 2019
