WILD RIDE
Woman waving Trump flag crashes Minnesota State Capitol event by ‘speeding on lawn toward lawmakers’
A FEMALE driver waving a Trump flag crashed a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol by driving onto the lawn and allegedly speeding towards a crowd.
The incident unfolded outside the state legislature in St. Paul late on Monday morning as the embattled Democratic Rep. John Thompson held a press conference.
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Footage posted to social media showed several supporters of Thompson and police racing over to the vehicle after it parked itself in front of the Capitol building.
The driver of the car is seen waving a Trump 2024 flag out of the window as the supporters approach.
A struggle appears to ensue between the motorist and a few members of the crowd who seem to be attempting the snatch the flag from her grasp.
'THERE'S ONLY ONE RACE!'
Witnesses to the exchange described the incident as a "tense confrontation."
According to , the woman then fled the scene across the Capitol's south lawn before being stopped on Martin Luther King Blvd. by police in unmarked squad cars.
named the driver as Tammy Jo and said she was heard shouting at troopers, "I'm a white woman! There's only one race!"
Capitol Security Captain Eric Roeske told reporters that the woman was being held at the scene to be mentally evaluated.
A swarm of first responders and mental health specialists flocked to the scene soon afterwards, attempting to coax the driver out of her vehicle.
Croman tweeted that the media was asked to back away from the scene because their cameras were "triggering" the woman.
"She was last heard yelling ... 'I want a lawyer!' while clutching a bible to her chest," he wrote.
She was then taken into custody just after 1.40pm, Croman said.
DRIVER WAS 'HOLDING BIBLE'
The Sun has reached out to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for more information.
Rep. Thompson had been holding a press conference outside the Capitol on Monday in which he insisted he won't be stepping down, despite calls from both sides of the partisan divide for him to resign.
Those calls come amid a resurfacing of past domestic violence reports, which claimed Thompson had choked and hit a girlfriend on multiple occasions.
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Among those calling for his resignation is Gov. Tim Waltz and House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
Thompson declined to answer questions about the years-old allegations. He also would not answer questions about his city of residence, with press conference organizers citing his safety.
In a brief statement, he assured his supporters he would not be resigning.
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