Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin made clear that she believes there’s nothing funny about the acquittal of a man known as the D.C. “Sandwich Guy.”
Sandwich Guy, whose real name is Sean Dunn, was found not guilty this week after being accused of assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent by throwing a Subway sandwich at him.
McLaughlin appeared on this week’s episode of Fox News’ “Saturday in America,” where host Kayleigh McEnany asked, “What message does that send when you can just throw sandwiches at CBP officials?”
The former White House press secretary asked the question after playing a clip of Dunn speaking to reporters after his acquittal. In the clip, Dunn said he believed he was “protecting the rights of immigrants” on the night that led to his arrest.
McLaughlin first called Dunn an “embarrassment” and accused him of “grandstanding.” Then she really got on a roll.
“The American people have a right to safety and security,” she went on. “That’s exactly what the federal officers in Washington, D.C., what our ICE law enforcement, CBP officers are bringing to American streets every single day. And this is as they’re facing a 1,000% increase in assaults against them.”
In court, the officer who had been hit with the sandwich appeared to smile or chuckle while being questioned about certain elements of the incident. He also described gag gifts he had gotten from other officers, including a plush sandwich.
But the idea that the case is humorous, according to McLaughlin, is baloney.
The DHS official decried what she termed “dangerous rhetoric,” and accused Dunn of contributing to its spread.
“And it gets even worse than throwing a sandwich,” she said. “We’re seeing terrorist attacks against them, people shooting at them, rocks being pummeled at them. It’s no laughing matter.”
The DHS official decried what she termed “dangerous rhetoric,” and accused Dunn of contributing to its spread.
“And this is just another despicable example of people putting dangerous rhetoric out there that puts our law enforcement in danger,” she said.
In an interview with HuffPost, Dunn described how federal agents had shown up at his door with “rifles drawn” and “riot shields” to take him into custody on the footlong-flinging charges.
Following his acquittal, he has mixed feelings about being at the center of a viral story.
“The artwork, the memes — I’m glad that I could inspire people,” he told HuffPost. “I’m not comfortable with the ‘hero’ narrative.”