WASHINGTON, June 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump headed on foot to a historic church which was damaged during unrest after a protest against racism.
At the end of a White House address in which he denounced the vandalism that followed anti-racism protests, Trump announced he was going to pay respects at “a very, very special place.”
He then headed to St John’s Church, across the street from the White House.
Known as “the Church of the Presidents,” it was hit with graffiti and partially damaged by fire during unrest on Sunday.
“We have a great country,” Trump declared just outside the church, where he held up a Bible.
He did not answer questions from reporters before leaving again.
Earlier, law enforcement — including military police — could be seen firing tear gas to clear peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park, outside the White House, so the president could walk over to the church.
The backlash was swift.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate in the November election, slammed Trump for “using the American military against the American people,” after the president vowed to order an army crackdown on the sweeping civil unrest.
“He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets. For a photo,” Biden tweeted. “For our children, for the very soul of our country, we must defeat him.”
Biden also announced he would speak Tuesday in Philadelphia “on the civil unrest facing communities across America.”
Washington’s mayor Muriel Bowser called the move “shameful”.
“I imposed a curfew at 7pm,” she tweeted.
“A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protestors in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult.”
New York governor Andrew Cuomo also expressed outrage over the incident.
“What the president did today was he called out the American military against American citizens,” Cuomo tweeted.
“He used the military to push out a peaceful protest so he could have a photo op at a church. It’s all just a reality TV show for this president.”
The visit enraged Washington’s Episcopal bishop, Marian Budde.
The president did not seek permission for the visit, she said, condemning his use of a Bible, failure to pray, failure to acknowledge the agony of Americans and decision to use tear gas on protesters to make the visit.
“I am outraged… we distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this president,” she said.
“I just can’t believe what my eyes have seen tonight… I had no idea,” she added. — NNN-AGENCIES
