The Episcopal bishop of Washington DC Edgar Budde has said she is “outraged” after officers used teargas to clear a crowd of peaceful protesters from near the White House to make way for Donald Trump with a Bible. Minutes after speaking in the Rose Garden about the importance of “law and order” to quell the unrest over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, Trump walked across the street to St John’s Episcopal church, the place of worship used by American presidents for more than a century. However, not before police used teargas and force to clear the streets for Trump’s photo opportunity.
A Jesuit priest James Martin tweeted a picture of Trump posing with the bible and lashed out saying, “Let me be clear. This is revolting. The Bible is not a prop. A church is not a photo op. Religion is not a political tool. God is not your plaything. He latter tweeted another picture of Trump, this time with his daughter and mocked, “Today at the Shrine of St. John Paul II, the President stood before the statue of the pope who condemned racism as a sin, who warned against “self-exaltation” of nations and who actively supported protesters during the Solidarity movement in Poland in their fight for justice (sic).”