He said he’d speak at 6:15 p.m. which was another ploy because he hadn’t yet given the order for the troops to move on the protestors with flash bangs, tear gas, rubber bullets and threats of violence to clear out Lafayette Park.
He also was hoping, I’m sure, his statement would be carried live on the network news shows. Because that’s really all he cares about. Looking strong on television.
But he hadn’t dispersed the protesters so the military police charged forward once, twice and pushed the protesters out of Lafayette Park and down the street. It all was to clear the way for him to pronounce himself the President of Law and Order. The flash bangs and all went on as the President, lacking only a white uniform with gold braids, marched to the Rose Garden podium to deliver a statement as the sounds of tear gas and flash bangs were going off across the street and peaceful protestors, citizens of the free United States of America, were gassed and pushed blocks away.
Then the President marched across the street, through where the protesters had been, because of course couldn't mix with those people, to stand in front of the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, not to meet with the pastor after his church was set on fire over the weekend, but to stand with his loyal staff so he could hold up a Bible. Donald J. Trump, multiple divorcee, alleged (pretty good allegations in fact) sexual harasser and possible abuser, could stand in front of the church and hold up a Bible for a photo opp. When was the last time he had a Bible in his hands?
I wanted to cry that this buffoon, this charlatan, this man who fancies himself a TV producer put on a show. He put on a show as thousands of Americans were protesting the killing of yet another black man by the police.
He set it up with his phone call with governors earlier in the day when he said they were fools for not acting with more force against protesters angry over the murder of another black man on the street, in front of cameras. He'd show the governors! Boy would he!!
Oh he made an obligatory mention of George Floyd, killed by police in broad daylight with malice, so that he could claim he was on the side of the angels. But just a brief mention to try to show he actually cared about that black man in Minnesota. Using him, too, as another prop for his show.
On his walk back to the White House his son-in-law, a typical Richie Rich white kid of privilege who is a failure at business as was his father-in-law, could be seen with a broad smile on his face as he talked to Trump. A smile. What do you think that smile was about? I thought he was likely saying, “Good job, Dad. We pulled it off.” A broad smile after they pushed the little people who actually thought they truly had to the right to protest, to push them out of the master's way.
That, my friends, is the President of the United States. We now rely, again, on the governors to protect us from the President of the United States. To keep the troops out of their states. The President has no authority to send the military into states. Indeed, that was among the reasons our Constitution was written the way it was – so that no King could dictate to the people what he wants.
That’s the thing Donald J. Trump has never and will never understand – he works for us. We don’t bow to him.
This clown, who also has great powers which should scare the hell out of us, leveraged this tragedy of another black man killed by police for his own benefit. He used trained guardsmen as a prop to clear a path for his triumphant walk to…what…an empty church? For what, to hold up a Bible that he borrowed from someone who actually had read it.
When I lived in Washington and walked to work, I walked past St. John's and through Lafayette Park. I took that route to marvel at the White House, often wondering what I was doing in such a majestic city that served as the base for so many historic figures, where I had worked in the White House for two presidents. And now I was walking to my consulting job. I took that route because I could walk past the White House, a building I have great respect for. Not to pine for the old days, but to admire what it stands for.
When I saw how Trump and his minions sullied that walk for a photo opp, gassed citizens he was elected to protect to clear the way for him. I realized, again, how far down this man has taken our country.
He stood in front of the church holding that Bible up proudly, surrounded by white men and one white woman as his loyalists. Lifting that Bible in the air as if he had respect for it. To stand alongside the memory of George Floyd? No, to try to save his election.
We know he respects nothing. He wants to divert us from the horrible job he’s done with the pandemic, the embarrassing job he has done for us in the world, as he fails to try to get re-elected.
We cannot allow that to happen. We just can’t.