Illustration: Yahoo News; source: AP



The White House is refusing to comment on an online petition, signed by 101,491 people, calling for Donald Trump’s arrest and prosecution on charges of incitement to violence, based on the Republican presidential frontrunner’s inflammatory rhetoric at campaign rallies.



The request, filed through the “We the People” section of the official White House website, was posted on March 13 and recently passed the 100,000-signature mark that the administration has said will trigger an official response to any petition.

The petition reads: “Donald J. Trump has been inciting violent acts amongst his supporters. He should be arrested and prosecuted for this. Legal precedent: Brandenburg v. Ohio. To wit, the Court held that government cannot punish inflammatory speech. UNLESS that speech is directed to inciting, and is likely to incite, imminent lawless action. Clearly, he is doing exactly that.”

The White House recently answered a petition urging President Obama to appear on Bill Maher’s “Real Time” show, and famously offered a long, detailed, amusing reply to another message urging the construction of a “Death Star.”

When it comes to arresting and prosecuting Trump, however, the White House won’t talk.

“We decline to comment on the specific request raised in the petition, which falls outside the scope of the We the People Terms of Participation,” according to its official answer, delivered on April Fools’ Day. It did not spell out exactly how the petition fell outside the bounds of petitions that deserve an answer.