Barr Says Trump Went To Bunker For Safety, Not To Inspect It, As President Claimed

TOPLINE

Following reports that President Trump took shelter in the fortified bunker under the White House amid protests in Lafayette Park last month, Trump claimed he went down for an “inspection,” but Attorney General Bill Barr now says Trump went for his safety.

KEY FACTS

Key Background

Protests erupted across the country after Floyd was killed in police custody last month. Floyd, a black man, was seen on video pleading, “I can’t breathe,” as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while three other officers stood by passively. The protests have been a mix of peaceful and violent, but D.C. was one place hit hard early, with numerous fires lit near the White House.

Big Number 

33%. Trump’s handling of the protests has garnered dismal marks from the American public, even compared to his fairly poor overall job approval rating. A Reuters poll last week found that just 33% of Americans approve of his response to Floyd’s death and the ensuing protests, including just 28% of independents.

News Peg

Trump has gone to great lengths to project an image of strength and resolve amid an increasingly fraught and chaotic national environment. He has refused to wear a mask throughout the coronavirus pandemic out of fear it would make him look weak. But the strategy seems to be failing; former Vice President Joe Biden, who has worn a mask, and also attended a protest in Delaware, has been gaining steadily in the polls. A new CNN poll has him up 14 points over Trump nationally.