New York reporter threatened with fake weapon at rally

Journalist Kathleen Phalen-Tomaselli had an imitation gun aimed at her by the leader of a right-wing group while she was covering an Oct. 5, 2019, political rally in Glens Falls, New York.

Phalen-Tomaselli, a reporter for The Post-Star, was documenting a demonstration in support of President Donald Trump when it was usurped by the North Country Deplorables group, according to the daily upstate newspaper.

As she was observing the demonstration, Mike Kibling, the group’s head, recognized her as a Post-Star reporter and pulled out a fake, orange-colored semi-automatic rifle.

According to The Post-Star’s reporting from the incident, Kibling said: “Here is my unloaded rifle, Post-Star. Thanks for the calls from the FBI and the BCI,” referring to New York’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

He then aimed the fake weapon at Phalen-Tomaselli, called her out by name, and said, “Hang on, Post-Star, we’ve got one coming for you over there too.”

“I know it wasn’t a real gun, but it looked like a real gun,” she told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. “After it happened, several MAGA people surrounded me and started yelling at me about what I was covering.

“I just kept standing the whole time. I think what kept me not being more concerned was I was taking his picture the whole time. A lot of times when you do that, it deflects your own worry about it.”

Kibling later told North Country Public Radio that while he acknowledged his actions, he did not mean them violently. “We have been battling the fake media,” he added.

The journalist encountered the group again on Oct. 11 while covering a town hall held by Rep. Elise Stefanik. Phalen-Tomaselli told the Tracker that Kibling’s “sidekick” came up to her and snapped pictures of her face, yelling, “I got her, I got her on camera.”

The combined experiences marked the journalist. “I’ve had this happen to me before, but for some reason, the gun in my face, with the threats that they were coming after me and coming after the newsroom, I would say it was really disconcerting. It was troubling.”

Phalen-Tomaselli added that she started to read up on how to protect herself, making sure she wasn’t being followed while commuting home from the newsroom, especially after dark, and looking inside her mailbox before putting her hand in. She also let more people know where she was out on assignments, and worried about her family.

“I’ve been harassed by lots of people, but when things like that happen, even if on the outside you act like it doesn’t bother you, it does,” she said. “It does affect you.”