White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday defended the use of force against protesters in order to clear the way for President Donald Trump’s photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
At her daily press briefing, McEnany was asked why it was necessary for Trump to walk to the church, where he held up a Bible.
McEnany suggested that Trump’s photo op had been a historic moment.
“This was a very important moment,” she explained. “I would note that through all of time, we’ve seen presidents and leaders across the world who have had leadership moments and very powerful symbols that were important for a nation to see at any given time, to show a message of resilience and determination.”
“Like Churchill,” McEnany continued. “We saw him inspecting the bombing damage. It sent a powerful message of leadership to the British people. And George W. Bush throwing out the ceremonial first pitch after 9/11 and Jimmy Carter putting on a sweater to encourage energy savings and George H.W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act planked by two disabled Americans.”
