Jasmine Razeghi writes on Governor Cuomo’s reaction to Trump’s walkway to the St John’s church.
Talking to CNN’s Erin Burnett, Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo criticized Trump’s “attack on peaceful protesters” and his actions for walking to the St. John’s Episcopal Church whose basement was set on fire this past Sunday.
“I was shocked at the force they used to move the protesters, who could not have been more peaceful, and from their signs, they were all there to make the legitimate point about the killing of Mr. Floyd. And it was just for a photo opportunity. I mean, it is amazing. Calling out the American military for a photo opportunity. That’s what it was. I mean, it was shameful. It was really, truly shameful,” Cuomo said.
The church, also known as “the church of the Presidents”, is walking distance of the White House. At a time where tensions between individuals and police remain, standing in front of St. John’s was supposed to symbolize Trump’s leadership but it was met with huge criticism by his political opponents. Bishop Mariann Budde joined the group of those who criticized Trump by saying that the President “just used a Bible and one of the churches of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for.”
Governor Cuomo went on to remind people of the reason behind the protests while also slamming Trump, stating, “this a historic problem of racism and discrimination and inequality and injustice and they want this country to be better, and the country should be better. But rather than deal with the truth, Mr. Trump wants to create his own truth, that these are bad people, and looters, and thugs, and they have to be put down.”