5 debunked hoaxes related to Donald Trump

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, September 17, 2024

4. Tear-gassing protesters in Lafayette Square for photo-op

Amid the intense riots that roiled Washington, D.C., following the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, Trump faced accusations that he tear-gassed protesters in Lafayette Square across from the White House on June 1 to clear the way for a Bible-toting photo-op at nearby St. John's Church, which protesters had set on fire the night before.

President Donald Trump holds a Bible while visiting St. John's Church across from the White House in Washington, D.C. after the area was cleared of people protesting the death of George Floyd June 1, 2020. | White House

Despite the claim making the rounds in the media and prompting widespread outrage, a federal probe by the Interior Department's Inspector General Mark Greenblatt found that neither Trump nor then-Attorney General William Barr ordered the protesters to be tear gassed to make way for Trump's passage through the square, according to NBC News.

"We found that the Park Police made the decision to clear the park of protesters in order to install an anti-scale fencing to protect the park and U.S. Park Police officers during those protests," Greenblatt told the outlet.

"We did not find evidence that the Park Police officials made that decision in order to permit the president of the United States to visit the park, or for a photo op at the St. John's Church, across the street," he added.