Trump's St. John's Church photo op was reportedly in reaction to reports of him hiding in White House bunker

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

published 2 June 2020

President Trump had federal military and law enforcement use tear gas and other nonlethal force to clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square on Monday evening so he could pose in front of St. John's Church with a Bible in his hand. Why would he do that? In part because he "was angered by coverage depicting him holed up in an underground bunker," CNN reports. "He told aides on Monday he wanted to be seen outside the White House gates, according to a person familiar with the matter." Maggie Haberman at The New York Times said her sources were telling her the same thing.

"Trump and his family were rushed to an underground bunker on the White House complex as protests raged outside the building on Friday evening," CNN says. "Trump wasn't seen on Sunday and spent most of Monday behind closed doors — leading to concern even from his allies that he was absent at a moment of national crisis."

CNN's Kaitlan Collins said the photo op appeared to be very last minute and reiterated that the excursion "was driven in part by that he was upset by coverage of the fact that he had been rushed to the underground bunker on Friday night." "Oh, my God," Anderson Cooper said, shaking his head. "Wow." "That is what sources are saying, Anderson," Collins responded. "We are in trouble," Cooper said. "He wanted to be seen outside the gates," Collins explained.. "Of course he did," Cooper sighed.

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"You know, he always talks about the world laughing, that the world is laughing at the governors right now," Cooper said. "They're not laughing at the governors, they're standing in horror over what is happening. The only people that the world is laughing at is the president of the United States, and this event? As I said, if it wasn't so dangerous and disgusting, it would be funny because it is so low-rent and just sad." Collins comes on at the 4:18 mark. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.