After Donald Trump claimed that some people were asking for a moment of silence for the Dallas gunman at a rally on Tuesday, Trump Co-campaign Chairman Sam Clovis was pressed by CNN's Chris Cuomo to substantiate those claims. Trump co-chair grilled on Trump's claim of 'moment of silence' for Dallas shooter

One of Donald Trump’s top policy advisers and co-campaign chairmen struggled Wednesday to substantiate the presumptive Republican nominee’s claim at a rally the previous night that “some people [have asked] for a moment of silence” for the Dallas gunman who killed five police officers last week.

“Well, I have seen it reported that we have seen some very interesting moments in dealing with this tragedy,” Sam Clovis told CNN’s Chris Cuomo during an interview on “New Day.”


Cuomo preceded his line of questioning by remarking that Trump’s claim was similar to one he made months ago when he said he had seen seen Muslims celebrating in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Cuomo asked Clovis whether he could elucidate what Trump was referring to Tuesday night in Westfield, Indiana.

“But calling for a moment of silence?” Cuomo said.

“Well, it depends on the context, I guess, Chris,” Clovis responded. “And frankly, I’ve had my nose buried in other issues. I’m not dodging your question.”

Cuomo was not buying it.

“Sam, you’re dodging it. You’re dodging it. You’re doing it artfully, but you’re dodging it,” the anchor remarked, as Clovis denied that he was doing so. “Context, my eye. Either you’ve seen they were calling for a moment of silence or you haven’t.”

“I personally have not,” Clovis said. In “some of these demonstrations, I’ve seen there’s a reverence paid to the shooter that is really startling. I think that is — when you have a person who purposefully and with intent murders five police officers, that’s terrible, and I don’t think you should celebrate that in any way, shape or form.”

