Waving guns at unarmed protesters is now officially a qualification to be a Republican star, and next week, the St. Louis couple that aimed weapons at passing Black Lives Matter demonstrators is scheduled to appear at the virtual Republican National Convention. The Washington Post reports that Patricia and Mark McCloskey, each of whom have been charged with a felony for unlawful use of a weapon, will "appear on behalf of the president," while, unsurprisingly, expressing their fealty to President Donald Trump.

Trump and other Republican officials have been publicly supportive of the white couple, both personal injury attorneys in their 60s, after they emerged armed from their house on June 28 as protesters passed by while demonstrating following the police killing of George Floyd.* The couple claimed the protesters made them "fear for their lives" and that they were protected by Missouri's "castle doctrine," which allows individuals to protect their homes. Their backers on the right also point out that the several hundred protesters were technically on private property-the suburban street was privately administered though it resembled any other normal street-as they made their way to protest at the nearby house of the city's Democratic mayor.

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The McCloskeys, who surely have lots of thoughts on the state of America today, are set to appear along with other Republican luminaries like former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and rising star in the Trump universe South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. As a cherry on top of the GOP lineup, former Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann, who had a standoff with a Native American activist at the Lincoln Memorial last year-and subsequently sued both CNN and the Washington Post for their coverage of it-will also reportedly be a speaker.

The way the Republican lineup is shaping up, it might be hard to find space to wedge Scott Baio and Tim Allen in this year.

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Correction, Aug. 18, 2020: This post originally misstated that Floyd was killed in a shooting.

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