Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church

On June 1, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., law enforcement officers used tear gas and other riot control tactics to forcefully clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square.

This was done to create a path for President Donald Trump and senior administration officials to walk from the White House to St. John's Episcopal Church. Trump held up a Bible and posed for a photo shoot in front of Ashburton House (the church's parish house), which had been damaged by a fire during protests the night before.

Former military leaders, current religious leaders, and elected officials from both parties criticized Trump for the event. The event was described by The New York Times as "a burst of violence unlike any seen in the shadow of the White House in generations" and possibly one of the defining moments of the Trump presidency.Helene Cooper (June 11, 2020). "Milley Apologizes for Role in Trump Photo Op: 'I Should Not Have Been There'". The New York Times. Joe Biden and some newspapers said that Donald Trump held the Bible upside down, which is not true.

References

Category:June 2020 events
Category:Presidency of Donald Trump
Category:2020 in the United States
Category:2020s in Washington, D.C.