Politics - News Analysis
Americans Horrified to Learn Trump Gassed Protestors So He Could Have Photo Op at DC Church
Washington D.C. police fired tear gas and forced protesters to disperse outside the White House minutes before Donald Trump addressed the nation for the first time since the death of George Floyd.
Protesters a couple blocks from the White House were protesting peacefully until police started walking toward them around 6:30 p.m. EST. About 10 minutes before Trump’s speech began, police started to push protesters backward and fired tear gas at them to make them move away.
CNN’s Jim Acosta noted from the White House lawn that you could hear “bombs going off” minutes before Trump walked up to the podium. Bill Barr was also spotted watching the protests from afar before police began to move the protesters.
Trump’s comments are the first time he’s publicly addressed the protests following the death of Floyd minus a few dozen tweets lauding police presence and bashing protesters. Trump has pushed for “law and order” following several violent protests nationwide. His address plans to tackle issues of federal response to protests that first arose in Minneapolis.
Washington D.C. has a 7 p.m. curfew and its mayor, Muriel Bowser, is expecting several more days of protests. Members of the D.C. police department have shown solidarity with protesters, including a group of cops that knelt in front of Trump International Hotel Monday afternoon.
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Now we know why there was tear gas…Trump is currently having a photo op at a DC Church.
Source tells me park rangers are clearing Lafayette Park (with tear gas) because President Trump is going to walk to St. John’s church from the White House soon
— Alexi McCammond (@alexi) June 1, 2020
Just look at this and remember this is America in 2020:
Trump appears to have tear gassed citizens out of a church square so he could do this pic.twitter.com/Zw6fLfOJp5
— Andy Campbell (@AndyBCampbell) June 1, 2020
I’m in tears. I am shaking.
This is why nonviolent protesters were assaulted by federal police before any curfew came into effect.
For a photo op. pic.twitter.com/y70swVOayu
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) June 1, 2020
Americans are horrified:
As Trump prepares to leave the White House for St. John's Church, a reminder: he appears to have just ordered the gasing of peaceful American protesters in order to stage a photo op.
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) June 1, 2020
The protesters were moved with tear gas and flash bangs by riot gear-wearing cops to clear a path for Trump to leave the visit the historic church that caught fire briefly last night.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020
Trump ordered the military to commit violence against U.S. citizens so he could have a photo-op at a church he neither attends nor cares about. https://t.co/MidATDJ2po
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) June 1, 2020
If Trump goes to the church, that would mean the crowd was tear-gassed to make room for his photo-op. https://t.co/0Gm9E3jGON
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) June 1, 2020
It appears they tear gassed people in a public park so that Trump could go to St. John's church?
Trump almost never goes to church. He goes on Christmas and Easter.
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) June 1, 2020
Police used tear gas and flash bangs to clear out peaceful protesters so Trump could have a photo op at St. John’s Church. Just amazing.
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 1, 2020
President Trump does not go to church if it’s not a photo op. He has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of familiarity with the Bible. He has never asked God forgiveness. Tear gas & flash bangs were used to disperse a peaceful crowd so he could make his way to St. John’s for optics.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) June 1, 2020
Trump is going to St. John's Episcopal, that's why he cleared the space. He is utterly godless. He never goes to church. Will every "objective" reporter in print, online and on TV please start calling him what he is?
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) June 1, 2020
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