President Trump leaves White House on foot to visit St. John's Church amid protests
Historic Washington, D.C. landmark was damaged during violent unrest on Sunday night.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., attacked President Trump's response to ongoing riots, arguing that he combined the worst elements of former President Richard Nixon and former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, a segregationist.
"I think that Donald Trump has combined the worst of George Wallace with Richard Nixon," Harris told CNN anchor Chris Cuomo during his show on Monday night.
"You know, when he talks about end it now and then dominate the streets, you know, dominate, it literally — one iteration of dominate is about supremacy and that’s what Donald Trump is about. And let’s be clear about it, he has spent full time from the time he ran for president throughout his term in office, full time trying to sow hate and division among the American people, and what he is right now doing in terms of invoking the American military, threatening the American people with the American military, the use of the American military against its own people."
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She went on to claim that Trump was a "divider," not a "commander-in-chief."
Her comments came after Trump announced he would use the U.S. military to suppress violent protests taking place across the nation.
"America is raw," Harris added. "Her wounds are exposed. And instead of having a president who understands it, who empathizes, who lifts up the spirits and acknowledges the pain, we have someone who chooses to hold up the Bible like a prop for his own political gain and for a photo op."
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Harris was referring to a widely criticized incident in which police attempted to disperse a crowd at Lafayette Square before Trump walked through the area in order to reach a church set ablaze during the protests.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and others accused Trump of using tear gas against protesting Americans for a "photo op." It's unclear what exactly happened in the incident, but the White House indicated police deployed crowd control measures to help enforce D.C.'s curfew.
“The perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7 p.m. curfew in the same area where rioters attempted to burn down one of our nation’s most historic churches the night before. Protesters were given three warnings by the U.S. Park Police," White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said when asked about the criticism.
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D.C. Park Police reportedly told WTOP that its decision to deploy tear gas was unrelated to Trump's plans to enter the area. Fox News hasn't confirmed this.
Both the Secret Service and DC police have reportedly declined to further discuss the issue. "For operational security reasons, the U.S. Secret Service does not discuss our protectees or our protective means and methods," the Secret Service reportedly told WTOP.
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