Protester manages to get within feet of Trump, throws Russian flags while shouting 'treason!'

A protester managed to get into the Capitol building ahead of President Trump's lunch with Republican leaders and proceeded to throw Russian flags at the commander in chief while shouting "Trump is treason," The Intercept's Aída Chávez reports:

The protester identified himself as Americans Take Action president Ryan Clayton. In February, Clayton passed out Russian flags branded with "Trump" to attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference. "The reason we trolled Trump with these flags is to draw attention to the Russian interference in our most recent American election, helping to decide the outcome in favor of the Trump campaign," Clayton wrote at the time. "Working with a foreign power to undermine our free and fair elections is treason. Let's be clear, Putin picked Trump because it's good for Russia, not because he's great for America."

Concern quickly spread about how Clayton got in the building — and within feet of the president. "How did he get in? That's not a publicly accessible space without an escort/staff or press badge," tweeted Salt Lake Tribune's Washington bureau chief Thomas Burr.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"This is pretty shocking to see happen right in the heart of our Capitol," tweeted CNN contributor Amanda Carpenter. "Steps from the Senate floor." Jeva Lange