White House Uses Footage Of Trump’s Controversial Church Visit For Promotional Video

TOPLINE

The White House released a cheery promotional video on Wednesday showing President Trump’s heavily criticized visit to Lafayette Square last month, where federal authorities used tear gas to remove a group of protesters so the president could pose in front of a church.

KEY FACTS

Crucial Quote

Despite the backlash, Trump has stood by how the day unfolded, telling Fox News in an interview: “I think it was a beautiful picture.” 

Chief Critic 

“History picks these moments,” said Stuart Stevens, a Republican strategist who works for the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. “It picked the march on Selma. It picked Bull Connor sending dogs against children. It picked the burning child from Vietnam.”

Key Background 

Nearly a month after the event, the infamous photo-op continues to attract criticism. A House committee began hearings Monday on the violent removal of protesters. Trump’s reactions in the days following the death of George Floyd have also come under fire—particularly his deployment of troops to Washington, D.C., to quell demonstrations. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the use of force as a “political stunt” and asked Trump to withdraw “all extraordinary federal law enforcement and military presence.” The Associated Press confirmed Thursday prior reports that some of the service members sent to the capitol during this time were issued bayonets. 

Further Reading: 

“Lafayette Square clash, still reverberating, becomes an iconic episode in Donald Trump’s presidency” (The Washington Post) 

“How Trump’s Idea for a Photo Op Led to Havoc in a Park” (The New York Times) 

“AP EXCLUSIVE: Soldiers were issued bayonets for DC unrest” (The Associated Press)