Overview
- Krasner, speaking Tuesday at the President’s House slavery commemoration in Philadelphia, said the ballroom would be demolished in an “official ceremony” and that he would keep a piece as a paperweight.
- Attorney General Todd Blanche called the remarks “disgusting” and White House spokespeople criticized a local prosecutor focusing on the federal project instead of city issues.
- The U.S. Secret Service said it investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat and declined to discuss protective intelligence related to the comments.
- The White House ballroom remains the subject of active litigation over whether the administration needed congressional approval, and the Supreme Court has allowed construction to continue while it considers the challenge.
- The comments grew out of a broader fight over how a Philadelphia slavery exhibit is presented and drew heavy coverage from outlets across the political spectrum, raising political and security questions for Krasner and federal officials.