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President Donald Trump holds a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church after walking through Lafayette Park from the White House in Washington, D.C. on June 1, 2020.
Brendan Smilofsky | AFP via Getty Images
The Department of the Interior’s watchdog claimed in a new report Tuesday that police violently removed protesters from a lawn outside the White House last June to allow a contractor to install a security fence, not to enable then-President Donald Trump to stage a widely criticized photo while using the Bible.
But the agency’s report also blamed US Park Police for failing to issue distraction warnings to racial justice protesters that were loud enough for them all to be heard before the Lafayette Park clean-up began on June 1, 2020, with cops using rubber bullets and tear gas to get the job done.
The Interior Ministry’s inspector general’s report did not specifically address allegations of excessive use of force against individual protesters and journalists by the police, saying “these are the subject of separate investigations as well as ongoing lawsuits.”
Protests around Lafayette Park began on May 29, 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The inspector general’s report indicated that the police began combing the protesters’ garden at 6:23 pm on June 1, 2020, and completed the operation by 6:50 pm.
11 minutes later, Trump walked “from the White House through Lafayette Park to nearby St. John’s Church,” the report said.
Riot police chase a man as they rush to protesters to clear Lafayette Park and the surrounding area across from the White House so President Donald Trump can pass for a photo opportunity in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, during a rally against the Episcopal Church. George Floyd dies, near the White House, in Washington, June 1, 2020.
Ken Sedno | Reuters
The Republican president, who criticized the protests that swept the nation in the wake of Floyd’s killing, then raised the Bible high so television and cameras could take the picture.
Trump was accompanied on his way across the park by then-Attorney General William Barr, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and US Army General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was dressed in combative camouflage uniforms, not visiting. Uniforms.
The report stated that at 7:30 pm, a contractor began assembling and installing the new fence and completed work within approximately five hours.
Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt wrote: “The evidence we reviewed showed that the USPP cleared the park to allow a contractor to safely install a moisture-proof fencing in response to the destruction of federal property and officer injuries that occurred on May 30 and May 31.” Statement issued with the report.
The report corroborated Barr’s claim, made less than a week after the incident on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” that “this was not an operation to respond to this particular crowd. It was an operation to move the perimeter of one block.”
When I came on Monday [June 1] “It was clear to me that we had to increase the perimeter on this side of Lafayette Park and push it out one block,” Barr said on the show. I made that decision in the morning. It has been reported to all police agencies.”
The attorney general said the media was “missing” this fact in reporting Trump’s photograph.
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“Moreover, evidence established that relevant USPP officials made those decisions and began implementing the operational plan several hours before they learned of a potential presidential visit to the park, which occurred later that day,” Greenblatt wrote.
“As such, we have determined that the evidence does not support the finding that the USPP cleared the park on June 1, 2020, so that then-President Trump could enter the park.”
President Donald Trump walks with US Attorney General William Barr (left) and US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper (centre) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Millie (right) and others from the White House to visit St. St. John’s Church after the area is cleared of protesters over the death of George Floyd on June 1, 2020, in Washington, DC.
Brendan Smilofsky | AFP via Getty Images
Later Wednesday, Trump issued a statement thanking Greenblatt “for having completely and completely exonerated me in evacuating Lafayette Park!”
“As we have said all along, and backed up in today’s highly detailed and professionally written report, our Brilliant Park Police made the decision to evacuate the park to allow the contractor to safely install anti-curvature fencing to protect against antifa rioters, BLM extremists and other violent protesters who caused In chaos and death to our cities.”
“In this case, they attempted to burn down the church the day before the evacuation. Fortunately, we were there to prevent the fire from spreading outside the basement – and it was our great honor and privilege to do so. Once again, thank you Inspector General!”
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