The bishop who overseas the Washington, DC church that Donald Trump visited following his speech on Monday admonished the president for using a place of worship as a "prop," noting the police deployed tear gas against peaceful protestors to clear a path for Trump's walk from the White House to St. John's Church.
As Washington Post's Michelle Boorstein reports, Bishop Mariann Budde said she is "outraged" and had no idea the White House "would be clearing with tear gas" in order to use the church for Trump's photo op.
"That they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop, holding a bible — one that declares that God is love and when everything he has said and done is to enflame violence," Budde said. "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," the bishop continued.
"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
Budde later spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper, insisting Trump's actions were "antithetical to everything we stand for."
Bishop Mariann Budde says she had "no idea" Trump would use her church for photo-op, calling his actions "antithetical to everything we stand for." pic.twitter.com/8dsXW07iMS
— The Recount (@therecount) June 2, 2020
You can watch that interview below:
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