White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was harassed at an Apple store over the weekend by a woman who also claims to have organized the group that blocked Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from visiting a Washington, D.C., public school.
Shree Chauhan used Periscope to broadcast her bizarre interaction with the press secretary live. She opened by asking him how it feels "to work for a fascist" and goes on to ask him whether he is a "criminal" who has "committed treason."
"What can you tell me about Russia?" Chauhan asks Spicer, who ignored her. "How do you feel about destroying our country? Do you feel good about lying to the American people?"
Asking @PressSec questions in Apple Store since he doesn't like the press. https://t.co/l493z2gG4x
— Shree ✊🏾❤️🇺🇸 (@shreec) March 11, 2017
Chauhan has made harassing members of the administration a regular thing. She claims to have been the organizer of the protest that stopped DeVos from visiting the Jefferson Middle School Academy after she was confirmed by the Senate.
"I was devastated by the election but I have channeled my anxiety, sadness, and anger into action," Chauhan wrote in a Medium piece to capitalize on the attention her video of Spicer was getting. "I have explained how dire the situation is to my closest friends and family, and I also organized that Betsy DeVos blockade at a local D.C. school with families and community partners."
Nobody on either side of the aisle appreciated Chauhan's action to block the DeVos school visit.
Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.), who has been a major opponent to the administration's cabinet nominees, said that DeVos "should be able to do her job."
Arne Duncan, who was the education secretary in the Obama administration, said that this was the wrong way to oppose DeVos.
"Agree or disagree w @BetsyDeVos on any issue, but let’s all agree she really needs to be in public schools," Duncan wrote on Twitter. "Please let her in."
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also said that DeVos is welcome to visit any school she wants.
"This bears repeating: Protest–peaceful protest–is fine but we do not condone violence towards anyone," Bowser said. "DC has the fastest growing urban school district in America. We welcome @BetsyDeVos & anyone who wants to learn more about our schools."
One of the members of Chauhan's protest was charged with assault.
Chauhan wrote that her action at the Apple store will inspire others to "resist harder."
"I hope my resistance allows others to gain the courage to resist too," she wrote. "If folks are already resisting, I hope it will give them energy to resist harder. If folks have not resisted, I hope it inspires them to get involved."
On Monday Chauhan wrote on Twitter that she would take on a Twitter "hiatus" for the rest of the day, but encouraged her readers to "keep resisting."
So I'm gonna go on a Twitter hiatus for the rest of the day.
Keep resisting!
— Shree ✊🏾❤️🇺🇸 (@shreec) March 13, 2017
Before Chauhan took up resisting, she was "drowning all [her] sorrows" in soft-serve ice cream in November, according to her Twitter. She posted on Twitter after Trump's election that everything "post-DJT world is terrible," along with a photo of her eating "cereal milk soft serve."
Drowning all my sorrows in @milkbarstore cereal milk soft serve.
Because everything in post-DJT world is terrible. pic.twitter.com/OsGkHP4WFs
— Shree ✊🏾❤️🇺🇸 (@shreec) November 18, 2016