‘I Am Outraged’: D.C. Episcopal Bishop Decries Trump Clearing Protestors With Tear Gas to Use Church as a ‘Prop’

Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde expressed her outrage toward President Donald Trump after Trump used her Washington D.C. St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo op following his address to the nation, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “I just can’t believe what my eyes have seen tonight.”

Budde and other members of the church didn’t know Trump would visit their church until they saw it on the news, they said. Budde ripped Trump for his “abused of sacred symbols” and was “outraged” that her church was used for political gain.

“I am outraged,” Budde said. “The president did not pray when he came to St John’s nor, as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now — in particular, that of the people of color in our nation who wonder is anyone in public power will ever acknowledge their sacred worth and who are rightfully demanding an end to 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country … We distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this President.”

“I feel that the soul of our nation is at stake right now and we need moral leadership,” Budde added. “And we also need moral leadership. We also need political leadership.”

At around 6:30 p.m. EST, protests following the death of George Floyd were cleared near the White House when police began firing tear gas and smoke bombs toward the peaceful crowd. Those protests were right near St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Trump ended his national address focused on federal response to the protests saying he was leaving to a “very special place.” Budde and other members of St. John’s did not know it would be their church.

Trump poised for a photo holding a Bible, an action Budde decried as a jab against her church.

One pastor told Fox News, “I feel like I’m in some alternative universe in a way.” Another church member said Trump “walked on holy ground” and that they were very offended.

On top of attacking Trump for using religion as a publicity stunt, Budde declared her support of protests around the nation and defended people of color’s outrage of police brutality and systemic racism.

“Their communities [are] destroyed by angry white vigilantes. All of that is part of our history,” Budde said. “One of the responsibilities of people of faith is to know the context in which superficial acts —when I say superficial, I don’t mean insignificant, but the ones that are right on the surface. We need to understand the deep-rooted causes of these things.”

“If we don’t understand the context, we miss the opportunity to be agents of healing. And that’s what we heard in our President tonight.”

In another interview, Budde said, “I am the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and was not given even a courtesy call, that they would be clearing [the area] with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop.”

Watch above, via CNN.