Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao took a stand against protesters who were shouting at her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as the pair exited a building in Washington, D.C.

In a video circulating on Twitter on Tuesday, a group of young protesters can be seen approaching the waiting car, posters in hand and shouting about the Trump administration's zero tolerance immigration policy.

“Why are you separating families?” one man yelled, casting blame on the Senate leader for the hardline immigration policy that had resulted in family separations on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Chao stepped between the car and the protesters, physically blocking them from nearing McConnell. “Why don’t you leave my husband alone?” she repeatedly asked.

“I’m not trying to disrespect you — but why is he separating families?” the man asked again.

“He's not,” Chao replied with visible frustration before security moved her towards the car door.

It's unclear as to when the video was taken.


This is the latest incident in a string of recent pro-immigrant protests against Republican officials since reports of the family separations first broke.

On Monday, demonstrators gathered outside the home of Stephen Miller, senior adviser to President Trump, placing fliers throughout the area bashing Miller for being a "white nationalist." Earlier, a Department of Homeland Security official reported finding a burned animal carcass on their front porch.

An executive order President Trump signed last week to halt family separations can't function as a long-term fix, the White House has argued while stressing the need for legislation.

The Republican-led Senate has yet to vote on a bill directly concerning the zero tolerance policy.

This story been re-edited to correct the quotations attributed to Secretary Chao.