CHOSEN THE TIME TO SHOW UP WITH
RIFLES AND OTHER FIREARMS TO TRY
TO BE INTIMIDATING.
AND THIS MORNING, WE SPOKE
WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL ELLISON
ABOUT THE STATUS OF THREATS
HERE, AS WELL AS SECURITY.
TAKE A LOOK.
JOINS US NOW IS THE MINNESOTA
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THIS
MORNING.
.
PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
ANY TIME.
ALL RIGHT.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE STATUS
OF THREATS TO OUR CAPITOL, WHICH
THE FBI HAD US IN A REPORT
ACTIVITIES WITH THE WHITE
SUPREMACIST GROUP, WE HAVE TO BE
CAREFUL.
WHERE ARE WE?
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU?
THE MOST RECENT REPORTS WE
HAVE ARE THAT WE DON'T HAVE
CREDIBLE THREATS WE ARE AWARE
OF.
THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE SHOULD SAY
VIGILANT.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY
SOMETHING.
IT'S CERTAINLY FINE TO GO
PROTEST PEACEFULLY IF YOU WANT.
BUT THE FACT IS THAT AFTER
WHAT WE SAW AT THE NATION'S
CAPITOL AND THE MICHIGAN STATE
CAPITOL, THE MINNESOTA STATE
GOVERNOR'S MANSION, AND OTHER
PLACES LIKE THAT HAS EVERYBODY
JUSTIFIABLY ON HEIGHTENED ALERT.
PLUS, THE MOST RECENT REPORTS
ARE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A
CREDIBLE THREAT THAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT AS OF TODAY.
BUT WITHOUT CREDIBLE THREATS,
DO YOU THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO
HAVE THE EXTRAORDINARY PRESENCE
YOU HAVE AT THE CAPITOL OVER
FEW DAYS THROUGH THE
INAUGURATION?
.
YES.
BECAUSE I THINK THE REASON WE
DON'T HAVE ARE A CREDIBLE THREAT
IS BECAUSE WE ARE PREPARED FOR
ANY THREAT THAT MAY COME.
IF WE LET OUR GUARD DOWN,
MAYBE THE THREAT ASSESSMENT
WOULD CHANGE BECAUSE OF THAT.
I THINK IT IS CREDIBLE.
IT'S LIKE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT?
I HAVE MY UMBRELLA UP AND I'M
IF YOU TAKE IT DOWN, WHAT WILL
HAPPEN THEN.
IF IT'S RAINING, OF COURSE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS BETTER SAFE
THAN SORRY.
AND I THINK THAT THE GOVERNOR
MADE THE PROPER DECISION TO
PROTECT THE CAPITOL.
THERE WAS THE INCIDENT JUST A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THERE THERE
WAS A THREAT DEEMED SERIOUS
ENOUGH THEY WENT TO THE
GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE AND REMOVED
HIS SON.
I CAN'T RECALL ANYTHING LIKE
THAT EVER HAPPENING IN RECENT
HISTORY.
HOW SAFE ARE OUR TOP
AND HOW SAFE ARE THE 10,000
FOLKS THAT WORK AT THE CAPITOL
WHEN THERE'S NO COVID?
.
WELL, I THINK THEY'RE SAFE
FOR THE MOMENT.
THE FACT IS I THINK THEY WILL BE
SAFE INTO THE FUTURE.
AS I TALKED TO FEDERAL, STATE,
AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
PARTNERS, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO
MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS
SAFE.
WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF
TERRITORY.
WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE
DOING ARMED PROTESTS AT THE
HOMES OF MINNESOTA STATE
LEGISLATORS A FEW DAYS AGO.
THAT CERTAINLY IS THREATENING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE
BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE GOTTEN
OURSELVES INTO A NEW TIME.
AND WHAT I ASK FOR IS, YES, LAW
ENFORCEMENT WILL DO WHAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DO.
BUT I'M ASKING FOR PEOPLE ON A
WAIT A MINUTE.
ONE, THE ELECTION IS FREE AND
FAIR.
NO ONE STOLE THE ELECTION FROM
DONALD TRUMP.
STORM AND SACK THE CAPITOL IS
UNACCEPTABLE AND CAN'T STAND.
NUMBER THREE, PEOPLE WHO
QUESTION ELECTION RESULTS WHEN
THERE'S NO CREDIBLE ARGUMENT TO
DO SO, THAT MIGHT BE LEGAL TO
DO, BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT.
AND SOMEBODY SHOULD
CHALLENGE IT.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE
HAVE GOTTEN A LOT IN THE
NEWSROOM IS SOME OF THE
PROTESTS, THE PROTESTERS ARE
CARRYING ARMS, YOU KNOW, GUNS,
WEAPONS, OPENLY.
MINNESOTA IS AN OPEN CARRY
STATE.
SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS LEGAL,
CORRECT?
IF THEY HAVE A PERMIT.
WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW?
SHOULD ASSUME PEOPLE HAVE
PERMITS.
LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD GO UP TO
THE PEOPLE AND SAY TO LET ME SEE
IF YOU HAVE PROPER
AUTHORIZATION.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT
TO EXPRESS OURSELVES.
AND THERE'S A SECOND AMENDMENT
WHICH SAYS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL
CAN HAVE A PERSONAL ARM.
WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO
THINGS AT THE HOME OF A PERSON
AND YOU'RE SHOUTING THREATENING
THINGS AT THEM, THAT CHANGES
BOTH OF THOSE RIGHTS, WHICH ARE
LEGITIMATE INDEPENDENTLY.
WHEN YOU PUT THEM TOGETHER, IT
CHANGES.
I THINK WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES
ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING?
IN JUST SEVEN WEEKS, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE THE START OF THE
TRIAL OF FORMER OFFICER DEEK
CHAUVIN IN THE MURDER OF GEORGE
FLOYD.
YOU ARE HEADING UP THE
PROSECUTION.
AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY
HERE, ARE YOU PRETTY CONFIDENT
IN THE SECURITY MEASURES, IN THE
SAFETY MEASURES THAT ARE BEING
DISCUSSED TO KEEP MINNESOTANS IN
GENERAL SAFE DURING THE TRIAL
AND ALSO THOSE INVOLVED IN THE
TRIAL?
YES.
BE SAFE AND WILL BE ABLE TO
CONDUCT THE TRIAL IN A SAFE
MANNER.
I HAVE RAISED ISSUES AROUND
COVID.
THOSE.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT IN TERMS OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRONG FEELINGS
ABOUT THE CASE, EXPRESSING THEM
IN AN INAPPROPRIATE WAY, I THINK
THAT THAT WOULD BE CONTAINED.
PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO EXPRESS
HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE CASE,
BUT I THINK THAT THE SAFETY
RISK, NOTHING LIKE YOU SAW ON
JANUARY 6th WILL HAPPEN.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
PEACEFULLY EXPRESSING
THEMSELVESES.
AND I WANT TO SAY THIS.
IF YOU'RE LISTENING TO THIS
PROTESTING, YOU HAVE YOUR SIGNS,
SHOUT YOUR SLOGANS, LEAVE IT
RIGHT THERE.
WE CANNOT HAVE PEOPLE
BREAKING PROPERTY OR ATTACKING
ANYONE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ALLOWED.
AND JUST A QUICK SHOUT OUT.
YOU ARE STILL DOING A LOT OF
CONSUMER WORK AND GOT BACK
SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR
FAMILIES WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO
TAKE A TRIP TO EUROPE.
YOU GOT THEM REFUNDS.
I'M SURE THEY ARE VERY GRATEFUL
FOR THAT.
I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS
A LOT OF TIMES, I GET TO SPEAK
FOR THE OFFICE BECAUSE I AM THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
BUT THE HARD WORK IS DONE BY THE
LINE ATTORNEYS WHO DAY AFTER DAY
I WANT TO THANK THEM.
ATTORNEY GENERAL KEITH
ELLISON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TIME.
YOU CERTAINLY ARE IN THE
MIDST OF AN AWFUL LOT OF THE
STORIES IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT
NOW.
THANK YOU.
LEGAL QUESTIONS THIS MORNING
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP.