Burgum defends white nationalist group’s Independence Day march, citing First Amendment

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Sunday said he disagreed with the beliefs of a white nationalist group that marched through the nation’s capital on Independence Day but defended their right to do so, despite concerns from local residents.

Approximately 400 masked people wearing paraphernalia with the logo of the Patriot Front white supremacist group marched across Capitol Hill on Saturday, chanting “reclaim America” while brandishing the Confederate Flag.

“I think that the certainly what they stand for is nothing that I could possibly agree with, but one of the foundational principles of the United States, which makes democracy messy, is free speech, and there are plenty of things that I see that I might personally find offensive, irreprehensible, but in America, free speech is allowed, and this is by the whole spectrum of things,” Burgum said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The Patriot Front group broke off from the Vanguard America neo-fascist organization in 2017 after the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va.

Their website says its organizational pillars are grounded in the belief that “Democracy has failed America, and it is necessary to organize outside of conventional electoral politics.”

It also adds that “America has a unique national identity founded in European discovery and settlement.”

Their march across the capital and presence on Washington’s Metro system startled some residents, as reported by WTOP.

However, the Interior secretary said the demonstration was a “rare example” of Independence Day celebrations launched throughout the week where people were “unifying” around the American flag.

Burgum also sidestepped a question about whether he would tell President Trump to condemn the group’s presence in Washington, D.C.

“I mean, there are people that are saying death to Israel and death to America, I mean, this is part of free speech in America,” Burgum told host Dana Bash.

“They can say it, we can object to it, but it is … it is something that comes with free speech in America,” he added.

The Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement to The Hill that it “recognizes the rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and remains committed to maintaining public safety and security for D.C. residents and visitors.”