Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany compares Trump to Churchill after church photo op: 'An image of leadership'
While President Donald Trump's controversial visit to St John's Church on June 1 has continued to ignite reactions, the White House on Wednesday, June 3, likened his photo op act to iconic British premier Sir Winston Churchill surveying the damage caused in England during the Second World War (1939-45). Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, a staunch Trump sympathizer, hailed the president's visit to the church as an important "leadership moment" after law-keepers forcibly cleared people protesting the death of George Floyd peacefully.
Trump held a Bible in his hand and gave a speech about America's "greatness" even as chaos prevailed in the background. The move left both political and religious circles divided but for Trump, it was an act of assertion after leaked news about his brief retreat to the presidential bunker last Friday, May 29, in the face of advancing protesters left the commander-in-chief disappointed. The US has been witnessing serious riots in the wake of the death of Floyd at the hands of the police even when it has been struggling to contain a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
"Like Churchill — we saw him inspecting the bombing damage — it sent a powerful image of leadership to the British people," the 32-year-old McEnany said. She also drew a comparison with former presidents George W Bush (his ceremonial first pitch after the 9/11 attacks), Jimmy Carter (putting on a sweater to encourage energy savings) and George H W Bush (signing the Americans with Disabilities Act with two disabled Americans by his side).
'It was important for the president to send a message'
Praising Trump's "brave" act, McEnany, who took over in April, said: "For this president, it was powerful and important to send a message that the rioters, the looters and the anarchists, they will not prevail. That burning churches are not what America's about." She continued, "And that moment, holding the Bible up is something that has been widely hailed by Franklin Graham and others and it was a very important symbol for the American people to see that we will get through this through unity and through faith."
Trump walked through Lafayette Park across H Street and stood in front of the old church, the basement of which was set on fire on Sunday (May 31) night by demonstrators. The damage was minor with the structure’s exterior bearing no impact. McEnany justified the forces' action saying the violent protesters were being targeted to secure the place, peaceful protesters and ensure that the church did not undergo another burning experience.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi mocked the Trump camp saying: "I think they’re hallucinating" while reacting to McEnany comparing Trump to Churchill and George W Bush.
Trump's act annoyed local clergy which they said came at the expense of peaceful protesters. However, many of the president's evangelical supporters saw the act as a victory over evil.
This is not the first time that Trump has been compared to Britain’s war-time prime minister Churchill. In March, former White House strategist Steve Bannon commented in a Fox interview that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was set to create Trump's "Churchill moment" whereby he would bring the country together to confront not just the virus but also its serious economic repercussions. Trump also claimed himself to be a "wartime president" while fighting an "invisible enemy".