President Trump gave a speech at the White House Monday afternoon and then headed across the street to St. John’s Church, which fortunately escaped much damage despite an arsonist setting it on fire (or maybe not; CNN’s Brian Stelter tweeted that it wasn’t on fire and then deleted his tweet — it turns out Fox News wasn’t faking its footage like turning a Kentucky gun range into a Syrian battlefield).
The narrative you’d hear tonight if you watched any channel but Fox News is that Trump had a peaceful protest pepper-sprayed to clear the way for his photo op.
Trump is currently calling himself an “ally of peaceful protesters” as peaceful protesters are being pushed back from the White House grounds with tear gas and flash bangs…
— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) June 1, 2020
The protesters were pushed out of Lafayette Park, in front of the White House, so the president could walk over for a photo op at St. John’s church. It was partially damaged last night during demonstrations. Today’s protests were peaceful.
— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) June 1, 2020
“Today’s” protests were peaceful … although the Secret Service said more than 60 officers and agents were injured while securing the White House over the weekend.
Stelter even posted a clip proving that protesters outside the White House weren’t doing anything.
"Do you see this?" a protester asks @CNN's camera. "We're doing nothing!" pic.twitter.com/M5HQyaQCwS
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 1, 2020
Trump walked to the church that rioters tried to burn down last night and held up a Bible. Predictably, some are losing their minds. If he hadn’t acknowledged the church burning, they’d criticize him for that, too. Good grief.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 1, 2020
Also heading out among the protesters Monday afternoon was Attorney General Bill Barr, who headed to Layfayette Square.
Wow — Attorney General Bill Barr is down in Lafayette Square in front of the protesters. pic.twitter.com/Q9fk2zdSTp
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 1, 2020
Bill Barr made his reputation in the early 1990s in tough law enforcement standoffs. He knows what he is doing. https://t.co/dsXUWyMNvG
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) June 1, 2020
Provoking violence? That’s what Vox’s Ezra Klein thinks:
You don't do all this if you're trying to avoid violence. You do it if you're trying to provoke it. https://t.co/bQX4mlrXL3
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) June 1, 2020
Exactly.
— Kate Evert (@KateEvert) June 1, 2020
It’s completely designed to incite violence
— Mary Donahue (@MDona1988) June 1, 2020
They aren't provoking it, they are COMMITTING it.
— … (@devilknowsfire) June 1, 2020
That's what 45's administration want. They want blood on their hands…and so do their supporters who think this is okay.
— merrichristi (@merrichristi) June 1, 2020
Its just a glimpse into what to expect on Nov 4th…
— Ahmed Bouna (@AhmedBouna) June 1, 2020
Does he think he’s Napoleon? Caesar?
— Marie Castany (@marie_cast) June 1, 2020
What is this monster trying to do?
— David Montgomery (@OldTownDave) June 1, 2020
Lol “provoke violence”
— FattyFats (@popcornsampler) June 1, 2020
This is a moronic take
— CIO Fake News (@mightbefakenews) June 1, 2020
How is this provoking?
— ॐ (@JasonSamfield) June 1, 2020
What could they do that you WOULDN'T say was instigating!?
— Buck Brutus I of Cascadia ??? (@stoicynic) June 1, 2020
No need to provoke violence when it's already happening.
— Adam (@Adam2967) June 1, 2020
You're far too smart to miss the fact that police presence is effective in preventing riotous action by demonstrating an overwhelming show of force.
Far more often there are riots when there is insufficient police presence, not when it's overwhelming.
— Cameron Ottello (Ottens) (@CameronOttello) June 1, 2020
And we don’t want riots, right? Oh, wait … didn’t one of Klein’s Voxsplainers call for people to riot whenever President Trump was in town? And then double down to say he was completely serious? And didn’t the site also post a piece on how riots “are destructive, dangerous, and scary — but can lead to serious social reforms”? Oh yeah:
Riots are destructive, dangerous, and scary — but can lead to serious social reforms. https://t.co/s3AciISP4H
— Vox (@voxdotcom) August 15, 2016
You are truly a moron
— LeftistMoronsWPhDs (@LftMoronsPhDs) June 1, 2020
Related:
Voxsplained: As Milwaukee burns, Vox holds that riots are scary but not irrational https://t.co/ZeCD86dICk
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 16, 2016