A D.C. Bishop is against President Donald Trump visiting her churches, particularly after clearing out peaceful protesters using tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets from outside the White House gates, just so he could make that visit.
“…He sanctioned the use of tear gas by police officers in riot gear to clear the churchyard. I am outraged,” Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington told CNN about Trump’s visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church, which is known as the Church of Presidents.
According to the report, Trump was surrounded by aides during his visit to the church, and only remained there for a for minutes before returning to the White House.
St. John’s has not escaped some damage from the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, and had its walls defaced on Sunday. There was also a small fire in the parish house basement. However, church leaders noted that at large, the church was “untouched.”
“I am outraged. The President did not pray when he came to St. John’s, nor as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now,” Budde said before expressing her support of protesters.
SILVER SPRING, MD – NOVEMBER 13: The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Washington pauses after speaking out against the hate filled messages left at Episcopal Church of Our SaviourNovember 13, 2016 in Silver Spring, MD. Two hate filled messages were found scrawled apparently by Trump supporters at the church serving Latino community.Each had the words “Trump Nation. Whites only” written on a banner and the parish’s memorial garden wall.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“And in particular, that of the people of color in our nation, who wonder if anyone ever—anyone in public power will ever acknowledge their sacred words. And who are rightfully demanding an end to 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country. And I just want the world to know, that we in the diocese of Washington, following Jesus and his way of love … we distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this President. We follow someone who lived a life of nonviolence and sacrificial love,” she added. “We align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others.”
Budde also slammed Trump’s use of the Bible during the visit, where he held up the scripture while posing for cameras.
“Let me be clear: The president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese without permission as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for,” the bishop said.
Donald Trump emerged from the White House on Monday evening, apparently angered by reports that he had cowered in his underground bunker amidst protests on Friday at the White House.
Reportedly angered by those reports, according to CNN, Trump declared himself “your president of law and order” and once again threatened military violence against protesters.
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” he said.
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