Fox News continues praising Trump's photo-op outside church, ignoring that he tear-gassed peaceful protesters for it
Fox News also won’t tell you that church clergy members were tear-gassed and driven off
Written by Eric Kleefeld
Published
Updated
Fox News continued its adulatory coverage Tuesday morning of President Donald Trump’s actions last night, when police tear-gassed peaceful demonstrators outside the White House protesting the police killing of George Floyd, so that Trump could walk over to pose with a Bible outside St. John’s Church.
The Washington Post reports that Trump “began mulling a visit” to the church earlier Monday, in response to previous negative media coverage: “The president was upset about news coverage of him briefly retreating to the White House bunker Friday evening amid protests, and he repeatedly wondered why anyone would have disclosed those details to the news media, two officials said.”
While the church had been damaged by fire over the weekend, the TV news cameras showed what was clearly a peaceful crowd on Monday being driven out, while Trump spoke from the White House, in preparation for his visit to the church. In addition, multiple members of the clergy were also driven off of the church premises, and at least one was tear-gassed, for Trump’s photo opportunity.
Fox’s morning coverage, however, cast Trump’s actions as a bold display of national leadership.
On Fox & Friends, as footage of Trump walking over to the church played, correspondent Griff Jenkins said, “Talk about iconic moments.” Jenkins also dismissed criticism of Trump’s actions. “But when you’re talking about the leader of the free world and the president of the United States,” he said, “you don't want to be in the way and disobey their efforts to clear this area.”
Citation From the June 2, 2020, edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends
STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): But, Griff, I’ve been on the North Lawn when the president has come out, and they blow a whistle — and that means they clear the park. What's different about yesterday is, there was a protest, I understand about 1,000 people — but they used tear gas and rubber bullets and flash-bangs to clear the park. And now there’s a lot of criticism. Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer condemned what they did. They say it was just for a photo-op. So that's, you know, that's the criticism the president is getting this morning.
GRIFF JENKINS (FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT): Well, that's a criticism that he’s receiving — and the street sweeper is a little loud, I apologize — but the reality of it is that on the previous nights — listen, on Sunday and Monday, I counted the charges from the D.C. police's information. They’ve charged 31 people so far with felony riot acts. Some of those included throwing bricks and projectiles towards the Secret Service agents. Many dozens who have been injured in those first two nights. And so last night, they weren't going to tolerate it. They said “clear this area, and if you don't, then we’re going to move it,” and they didn't waste any time.
So, there’s criticism on the force that should have perhaps been used. But when you’re talking about the leader of the free world and the president of the United States, you don't want to be in the way and disobey their efforts to clear this area. So, you know, I understand the criticism coming, but this is a very secure area right now; it is locked down. If you have a hard press pass for the White House, you could go in there. But if you’re just anyone else, you cannot.
In another block, about two hours later, Jenkins again characterized Trump’s walk as an “iconic moment,” and Doocy framed the criticism of the tear-gassing as coming only from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Citation From the June 2, 2020, edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends
On the Fox Business show Mornings with Maria Bartiromo, the eponymous host and former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders praised Trump’s actions. They also contended that Trump was defending the historic church, with Sanders saying, “That’s a sign of courageous leadership.”
Citation From the June 2, 2020, edition of Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria Bartiromo
MARIA BARTIROMO (HOST): What is your reaction to the president's move last night? You saw what Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said about his symbolic walk to St. John's Church.
SARAH SANDERS (FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR): Look, the people who desecrated St. John's Church — that is an act of true cowardice. The president standing up in front of the country, holding a Bible, standing before a church, that's a sign of courageous leadership. And that's the type of leadership that we need. I completely disagree. The president was looking for a way to bring people together. He's been very clear, he supports the peaceful protests. But this is a country of law and order. The president's number-one job is to keep us safe. And in order to keep us safe, we have to have law and order.
…
BARTIROMO: Yeah, and I thought that walk was a powerful showing of “we will come for you if you continue for this criminality.” There are peaceful protesters that we want, and then there were the criminals who were throwing bricks through stores to try to loot all of the products there.
Later during Fox’s purported “news”-side coverage, America’s Newsroom co-anchor Sandra Smith mentioned Trump’s visit by casting all protests in the capital as violent, failing to mention that the demonstrators outside the church were peaceful but were still tear-gassed for a photo op: “Growing unrest in our nation's capital overnight. Police cracking down on violence throughout the streets of Washington, as President Trump visits a church that was damaged by a fire during the weekend protests.”
Citation From the June 2, 2020, edition of Fox News’ America’s Newsroom
News correspondent Kristin Fisher gave a rare acknowledgement. “Yes, the protests near the White House on previous nights had turned violent,” Fisher explained. “Last night, though, as best we can tell, the protests were still peaceful as law enforcement pushed them back with tear gas.”
But then it was back to the narrative of Trump’s seeming heroism: “Then, President Trump did something that stunned everyone: He just walked right out the front door of the White House, crossed Lafayette Square, and stood holding a Bible in front of the historic St. John’s Church, which had been set on fire just a few hours ago.”
Fisher also conveyed the White House’s pushback against any negative reporting: “Now, there is some reporting that some White House officials thought that President Trump went too far last night. But I just spoke with a senior administration official, who told me that that is completely off-base. She says that the reaction within the West Wing has been overwhelmingly positive, and that what we just saw President Trump do — walking out of the White House and going to St. John’s Church — that senior administration official told me that that is exactly what America wanted to see.”
Clarification (6/3/20): This piece originally identified two clergy members who were “driven off by tear gas” at St. John's Episcopal Church. The language has been updated to reflect that at least one clergy member was reportedly tear-gassed, while the other witnessed the tear gas being used after fleeing the church ahead of National Guard troops.