We have questions.
Twitchy has been posting a lot Wednesday about that new inspector general’s report that says U.S. Park Police did not violently clear protestors from Lafayette Park so President Trump could do his Bible photo-op in front of St. John’s Church, which was the target of arsonists during Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C. We think it’s important, because it shows again, as NBC News’s Ken Dilanian admitted, “the narrative we thought we knew was not the reality.”
Some still don’t believe the report. Here’s former White House correspondent Peter Maer suggesting the IG “was on a short leash.” He also repeats the lie that Trump held the Bible upside-down; even Snopes says that’s false. But that too was part of the narrative.
https://twitter.com/petermaer/status/1402727076080361472
And let’s talk about the fire. The Washington Post’s religion reporter said at the time that the blaze did not appear to cause any significant damage.
NEW: Fire was in basement of St. Johns, and is out, my @washingtonpost colleague @phscoop reports from DC fire department. Firefighters got there w/ a police escort and quickly put out the blaze. Did NOT appear to cause any significant damage, and it is unclear how it started.
— Michelle Boorstein (@mboorstein) June 1, 2020
A year later, however, the church rector told WTOP news anchor Ken Duffy that there was still a lot to repair, in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.
It’s been a year since the fire at St. John’s Church during George Floyd protests in D.C.
Church rector Rev. Rob Fisher tells @WTOP “there’s still a lot left to repair” in “the hundreds of thousands of dollars”
Despite that Fisher tells me “work for racial justice” continues
— Ken Duffy (@KenDuffyNews) May 31, 2021
So … which is it? Can we get a fact-check? On June 2, 2020, WTOP’s Neal Augenstein reported that Park Police did not use tear gas and did not know about Trump’s march to the church.
A source says tear gas was never used — instead smoke cannisters were deployed, which don't have an uncomfortable irritant in them. And, the source says Park Police didn't know President Trump would be walking across the park several minutes later. Park Police say…
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 2, 2020
…the reason the crowd was disbursed with smoke cannisters is that at that moment, officers were being pelted with water bottles. Another factor was that protesters had climbed on top of the structure at the north end of Lafayette Square that had been burned the day before.
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 2, 2020
Huh … that checks out with what the inspector general found. And we knew it a year ago.
Speaking of fact-checkers, here’s CNN’s Daniel Dale and his fact-check at the time:
Van der Veen falsely claims the clearing of Lafayette Square last June happened to "establish an appropriate security perimeter" from a "riotous mob." No. They cleared peaceful protesters out of the way for a Trump photo-op. The "narrative" van der Veen is mocking is correct.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 13, 2021
Glenn Greenwald pulled the receipts. Here’s CNN’s Erin Burnett reporting on the peaceful protesters who were gassed and shot with rubber bullets so Trump could have his photo-op.
Yet Another Media Tale — Trump Tear-Gassed Protesters For a Church Photo Op — Collapseshttps://t.co/KacyuknbyY
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021
That Park Police violently cleared Lafayette Park at Trump's behest was treated as unquestioned truth by corporate media.
Today it was revealed by the independent IG Report to be an utter falsehood. Watch how readily and easily they spread lies. From CNN on June 1: pic.twitter.com/2CG7k3GpZN
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021
The IG's Report could not be clearer: the media narrative was false from start to finish.
Plans to clear the Park were made before anyone knew Trump was coming. Some journalists, like @MZHemingway, said this at the time, but were "debunked" and declared liars by "fact-checkers." pic.twitter.com/G1i5jJm7GT
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021
Heck, Twitchy said it at the time.
The IG is long-time respected DC official from the Obama years.
Yet again, the corporate media outlets that most loudly and shrilly denounce "disinformation" — to the point of demanding censorship in its name — got caught spreading outright falsehoods for week with no dissent. pic.twitter.com/DQwL6xspAu
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021
It is hard to count how many times they have spread major fake stories in the Trump years. They have nobody but themselves to blame for the utter collapse in trust by the public, which has *rightfully* concluded they cannot and should not be believed.https://t.co/KacyuknbyY
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021
The IG who issued this report is a DC official from the *Obama years.* He obtained proof showing the decision to clear the Park was made well before Trump decided to go to the Church.
Liberals still refuse to believe it because they adore corporate media & want to be lied to. pic.twitter.com/b7rbUtTZVh
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021
I don't know what is worse, that MSM lies in horrific ways, or all the people who believe and repeat the lie unquestioningly, then don't care that they repeated lies.
— Dee Watson (@ElectDeeWatson) June 9, 2021
So the Park Police tell the IG It wasn’t at Trump’s request. OK, then who’s request was it? No one’s? They decided on their own it was the time to clear this square, even though curfew wasn’t until 7PM? And why the excessive level of force for a predominantly peaceful protest?
— Sameday Same Palmer🇺🇸 (@dpalmer25352) June 9, 2021
According to the Park Police, it wasn’t peaceful, even if the narrative was that it was “predominately peaceful.” CNN, NPR, all agreed it was “peaceful.”
The people who believe this don't care. No video, etc. will change their minds. Nothing. They hate Trump and that's that. Of course everyone has "my truth" too.
— 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝑔𝒾𝑒𝟢𝟦𝟢𝟧 (@maggie0405) June 9, 2021
Doesn't matter. The bullsh*t story had it's intended effect. Media won't stop doing it now that they know what works on the masses. Until there are real world repercussions for this behavior, it won't stop. It'll only get worse.
— James Klann (@jdklann) June 9, 2021
Of course, most people in Greenwald’s replies can’t believe he’s trusting a government report, even though it lines up with what the Park Police reported at the time. The story’s out there and those who choose to believe it aren’t going to have their minds changed. The church was mostly spared but is still under repair a year later. The Bible was upside-down, but it wasn’t. Good thing we have fact-checkers.
Related:
CNN fact-checker’s previous ruling on Trump and Lafayette Square aged poorly in record time https://t.co/BGwll6DXtC
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 9, 2021
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