President Donald Trump on Friday defended his decision to walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church despite some members of his administration expressing regret that they joined him.
“I think it was a beautiful picture, and I’ll tell you, I think Christians think it was a beautiful picture,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Harris Faulkner.
Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed regret for joining the president as he walked out of the White House and across Lafayette Park to the church that was burned by rioters.
But Trump dismissed their concerns.
“I mean if that’s the way they feel, I think that’s fine,” he said. “I have good relationships with the military.”
Trump’s decision to walk to the historic church after the fire and hold the Bible drew widespread condemnation from corporate media, Democrats, and even some Republicans in Washington.
But Trump dismissed their criticism.
“It’s only the other side that didn’t like it, the opposition party,” Trump said last week and added, “The fake news makes everything look bad no matter what you do.”
Prominent evangelical pastors Robert Jeffress and Franklin Graham both praised the decision.
“Thank you, President Trump,” Graham posted on Facebook. “God and His Word are the only hope for our nation.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.