President Donald Trump went full dictator on Monday during a speech in the Rose Garden in which he threatened to deploy the full force of the United States military against American citizens protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.
As protests continued despite Trump hiding in a White House bunker like a coward the previous night, Trump insisted that he upholds the laws and will protect the people.
“My first and highest duty as president is to defend our great country and the American people,” Trump said. “I swore an oath to uphold the laws of our nation and that is exactly what I will do.”
But his next statements ran contrary to that as he threatened to turn the military loose upon the very people he claimed to be protecting.
“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 declared.
Most of the protesters are peaceful, but some right-wing extremists have been committing acts of violence in an effort to make black people look bad. Rather than condemn these bad actors, Trump is trying to scapegoat by blaming Antifa instead.
Trump delivered his remarks as military and police attacked protesters using tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to clear the path for him to walk over to St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he held up a Bible for a photo-op to look like a tough guy.
Only that did not amuse the bishops, one of whom expressed utter disgust over Trump using the church as a prop and attacking protesters so he could do so.
The Episcopal bishop of DC – who oversees the DC church Trump just stopped at – tells the @washingtonpost she is “outraged” and that neither she nor the rector was asked or told… “that they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop..” 1/3
— Michelle Boorstein (@mboorstein) June 2, 2020
..holding a bible, one that declares that God is love and when everything he has said and done is to enflame violence. I am beyond.We need moral leadership and he’s done everything to divide us and has just used one of the most sacred symbols of the Judeo-Christian tradition.”2/3
— Michelle Boorstein (@mboorstein) June 2, 2020
“We so disassociate ourselves from the messages of this president. We hold the teachings of our sacred texts to be so so grounding to our lives and everything we do and it is about love of neighbor and sacrificial love and justice.” @Mebudde Bishop Mariann Budde 3/3
— Michelle Boorstein (@mboorstein) June 2, 2020
Trump is no Christian and neither is anyone who accompanied him to the church. They should all be ashamed of themselves. He just declared war on Americans and is pretending that what he is doing is both righteous and American. It’s not. This is Fascism 101 and the nightmare is only beginning.
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