Tear gas fury as Trump pulls church stunt
CHURCH leaders accused Donald Trump of staging a “cheap political stunt” yesterday after protesters were tear-gassed out the way so he could be pictured by a church clutching a Bible.
Seething over coverage of how he had fled to a White House bunker to be safe, the President demanded he was seen walking the streets of Washington DC.
Over the weekend nearby St John’s Episcopal Church was partially burned in protests over the killing of a black man, George Floyd, by a white officer Derek Chauvin.
Mr Trump went to the church where every president has prayed since 1809 and demanded to be photographed outside with a Bible.
As officers cleared peaceful protesters surrounding the church using tear gas and rubber bullets he threatened to unleash military might on people.
Gini Gerbasi, a rector at St John’s, had been passing out water and help to demonstrators with fellow clergy when the National Guard began their action.
Battleground
He said: “That man turned it into a battleground first, and a cheap political stunt second. They started using tear gas and folks were running at us for eyewashes or water or wet paper towels. We were driven off the patio at St John’s – a place of peace and respite and medical care throughout the day – so that man could have a photo opportunity in front of the church.
“People were hurt so he could pose in front of the church with a Bible.”
Yesterday the bishop who oversees St John’s slammed Mr Trump. The Rev Mariann Budde said: “The President cleared the park and courtyard and stood in front of St John’s as if it were spiritual validation and justification for a message that is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and God of justice.
“He stood in front of our church like it was a background to his agenda.”
Michael Curry, the American bishop who presided over Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan, said: “The President used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes.
“This was done in a time of deep hurt and pain in our country, and his action did nothing to help us or to heal us.”
Another senior church leader, Bishop Greg Brewer, tweeted about the President: “This is blasphemy in real time.” Earlier, as police opened fire on demonstrators, Mr Trump appeared in the Rose Garden of the White House and addressed the nation, declaring: “I am your president of law and order”.
Mr Trump said he was among the Americans “rightly sickened and revolted” by the death of Mr Floyd.
Days of violence erupted after officer Chauvin kept his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck for almost three minutes after he fell unconscious. He has been charged with murder and manslaughter.
Mr Trump added: “If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the military and quickly solve the problem for them.” He called the looting and violent demonstrations acts of domestic terror and claimed the authority to act from the Insurrection Act of 1807.
Countless governors have said the President is operating outside the law.
Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, threatened to sue the President if he deployed the military.
Despite doubling officers deployed in New York to 8,000 and an 11pm curfew, police struggled to respond to reports of