April Ryan Says Bodyguard ‘Overreacted’ In Alleged Assault On Local Reporter

CNN political analyst April Ryan told CNN’s Brian Stelter Sunday that her former bodyguard “overreacted” when pushing a local reporter out of Ryan’s event, but noted he likely believed she was in danger.

Charlie Kratovil, an editor at New Brunswick Today, attended the New Jersey Parent Summit on Aug. 3 where Ryan was the keynote speaker. Kratovil had been approved to cover the event, according to documents Stelter viewed. Video footage showed Ryan’s bodyguard forcibly removing Kratovil from the event, and the local reporter filed charges following the alleged assault.

Ryan spoke about the incident for the first time Sunday and said her bodyguard, who is no longer with her, “overreacted” when he threw Kratovil out of the event. Ryan added that although he “overreacted,” she believes the bodyguard “was concerned for” her safety, and she didn’t fully condemn the incident.

“And no, I did not order anyone to do anything,” Ryan said on “Reliable Sources.” “At that moment, what you saw was my then-bodyguard, who was concerned with my safety, come to me and say stop talking. They were about 100 feet away from me. I didn’t know what was going on or said. I was onstage at the time.”

Ryan told Stelter that “the atmosphere around me is charged.”

“I do receive death threats. I continue to receive death threats,” Ryan said. “The atmosphere around me is charged, and that’s one of the reasons why I assume he may have overreacted because he was concerned for my safety but it doesn’t make you feel good to get a death threat and have to send it to the FBI and local authorities. I’m a person in the community, of children. I have friends, I have family. It’s a tough situation to live under but I do it and unfortunately, I have to have bodyguards around me.”

Ryan hired a security detail following multiple public arguments between herself and former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Ryan accused the White House of putting “a target” on her back in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 and said the Trump administration should cover the cost of her security.

“Her [Ryan’s] reputation now depends on finally addressing this situation head-on and proclaiming that what happened that night in New Brunswick cannot be tolerated,” Kratovil said according to Fox News.