DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County pastor responded to what he considered an intimidation tactic against him from people inside the White House.
The video was apparently taken from inside the East Room of the White House. In it, a group of people appeared to mock Dr. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, with someone someone holding up a cardboard cut-out picture of him.
Senior White House Correspondent April Ryan posted the video to her social media page on Friday. The video showed the group celebrating Black History Month and newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel.
A man holding a cellphone panned around the room and said: “Hold those mother suckers accountable.”
“Yeah, that’s right, yeah, Jamal, that’s right,” another man is heard saying.
Bryant, a long-time critic of President Donald Trump, called for a nationwide boycott of Target after the retail giant rolled back its DEI initiatives, in step with Trump’s executive order.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Couple found shot to death in their own bed in Carroll County
- GA man sentenced for blowing up woman’s house, threatening to feed her child to python
- Charges dismissed for north GA mom arrested when son walked to store alone
On Friday, Bryant posted his own video in response.
“It wasn’t just about me, but it was an attempt to silence the voice of the prophetic Black church,” Bryant said.
In a statement to Channel 2’s Audrey Washington, Bryant wrote:
“To be singled out at a White House reception as a potential target to be “held accountable” by the newly appointed FBI director was not on my 2025 bingo card... but let me be clear that no amount of intimidation or political pressure will silence the truth.
“I stand firm in my commitment to speak out against this administration or any corporation that seeks to erode generations of progress among marginalized communities. It is not only my right but it’s our collective responsibility as citizens to hold the powerful accountable. At this critical moment, we must collectively resist any radical actions that threaten the very foundations of our democracy.
“Silence is not an option, and complacency is not a strategy. We all must remain steadfast in the fight to ensure that truth and justice prevail.”
Channel 2 Action News could not independently identify the people seen in the video.
©2025 Cox Media Group
