Washington, DC - A senior Trump administration official on Sunday shrugged off a white supremacist march in the nation's capital on July 4, labeling it an example of "messy democracy."
During an interview with CNN on Sunday, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said that a white supremacist march which took place on Saturday fell under the banner of constitutionally protect free speech.
"What they stand for is nothing that I could possibly agree with," Burgum said. "But one of the foundational principles of the United States, which makes democracy messy, is free speech."
As thousands of Americans gathered in the capital city Saturday to mark the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence, hundreds of masked men were seen marching through parts of Washington, shouting "Reclaim America!"
Many were carrying Confederate flags, while others sported logos of the white supremacist Patriot Front movement.
Donned in tan pants, hats, and dark blue shirts, they followed the neofascist group's founder Thomas Rousseau into the city's Metro system, gathered outside Union Station, and reportedly marched towards Capitol Hill.
"Obviously, when we were celebrating America we've an incredible celebration and, we've got, this is a kickoff of a celebration year," Burgum said. "We know from our very founding that this was something that divided our nation."
"As we continue to move forward as a country, we can be an exceptional nation because our ideals are exceptional – that all men are created equal."