'This is a joke': White House slammed for 'repugnant' video of Trump outing
The White House and US President Donald Trump have been widely criticised for a campaign-style video release in the wake of protests across the country.
The streets outside the White House on Sunday night (local time) turned violent with people starting fires, looting and destroying parked cars.
Security took the step of reportedly moving Mr Trump to a bunker underneath the White House.
On Tuesday morning, the White House tweeted a video of the US president visiting St John’s church, not far from the Oval Office.
This same church was gutted by fires during Sunday night’s riots.
The video features Mr Trump walking to the church followed by his staffers.
In front of it he holds up a Bible while rousing music plays. He then walks back to the White House.
Since being posted to the time of writing, it has been viewed more than 1.2 million times.
However, it probably hasn’t received the type of attention the creators had hoped for.
“This is a joke,” one woman tweeted.
Others called the video “embarrassing” and “repugnant”.
One man tweeted an edited version replacing the rousing music with “The Emperor’s Theme” from Star Wars.
Police used teargas to move a peaceful protest group out of the way so Mr Trump could be filmed outside the church.
It wasn’t a fact lost on viewers of the video either.
“You left out the gassing of peaceful protesters,” one man tweeted.
This is the saddest, lamest piece of propaganda I’ve ever seen.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) June 2, 2020
this is really creepy
— Brent 🤜🏻🤛🏾 Davidson (@Brentus88) June 2, 2020
Trump accused of using church, Bible ‘for partisan political purposes’
Mr Trump on Monday vowed to use the US military to halt protests over the death of black man George Floyd at the hands of police.
"Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled," the US president said.
"If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are 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."
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church diocese in Washington DC, Michael Curry, was among those who criticised the president’s use of the historic church for a photo opportunity.
"In so doing, he used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes," Mr Curry tweeted.
with Reuters
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