Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) criticized President Donald Trump’s holding of a bible outside St. John’s Episcopal Church on Monday, writing on social media: “He holds that Bible like it’s burning him.”
Earlier Monday, President Trump visited St. John’s Church across Lafayette Square, one day after rioters set ablaze the landmark building’s basement, where he vowed to protect the country.
President Trump declared he was mobilizing all federal resources in response to protests over the police-involved killing of George Floyd and encouraged all governors to deploy the National Guard in their states.
President Trump called on mayors and governors to establish an “overwhelming law enforcement presence” and said he will deploy the United States military if state and local governments do not “take the action necessary to defend the life and property of their residents.”
“My first and highest duty as president is to defend our great country and the American people,” he said. “I swore an oath to uphold the laws of our nation and that is exactly what I will do.”
In order to activate the military to operate in the United States, Trump would have to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, which White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had earlier described as “one of the tools available” to the president.