Trump held a Bible in his hand while standing outside the church for only a few minutes. Budde tweeted later that the president “used a Bible and a church of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for.”

“To do so, he sanctioned the use of tear gas by police officers in riot gear to clear the church yard,” she continued. “The President did not come to pray; he did not lament the death of George Floyd or acknowledge the collective agony of people of color in our nation. He did not attempt to heal or bring calm to our troubled land.”…

The pastor of St. John’s also told Fox News on Monday that he was unaware Trump was coming to the establishment, saying: “I feel like I’m in some alternative universe in a way.”

National Episcopal clergy have joined in the outrage. Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida Greg Brewer tweeted: “I am shaken watching protestors in Lafayette Park gassed and cleared so that the President of the United States can do a photo … This is blasphemy in real time.”