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‘Ridiculous’: Carney dismisses question about safety of Zimmerman family [VIDEO]

Gabe Finger Contributor
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WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dismissed a question Wednesday regarding the safety of George Zimmerman and his parents as “ridiculous.”

Asked by The Daily Caller during the daily press briefing whether the president intends to take any action to protect the Zimmermans — in light of the many death threats the family has received — Carney laughed and said, “Well, I think I would refer you to Florida authorities. I’m not aware of that story. But, you know, the president has called for echoing the statements of Trayvon Martin’s family — for calm and reflection in the wake of the verdict. And that continues to be his position. He certainly would oppose any violence.”

ABC News reported Monday that Zimmerman and his parents have remained in hiding since the verdict due to “an enormous amount of death threats.” Despite the not guilty verdict, Obama released a statement on Sunday calling on the country to honor Trayvon Martin’s memory but made no mention of Zimmerman.

Asked to clarify if Zimmerman’s family members are therefore on their own, Carney responded indignantly.

“You can editorialize all you want, and I have no doubt that you will, but that is a ridiculous statement,” he told TheDC. Several reporters in the room laughed.

Back in March of 2012, following the death of Trayvon Martin, President Obama assured the Martin parents that he would “take this with the seriousness it deserves,” adding that, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”

In response to the verdict, Obama released a written statement Monday, saying that all Americans should consider “how we can prevent future tragedies like this.”

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