Trump's false Lafayette Square exoneration

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://theweek.com/donald-trump/1001404/lafayette-square-clearing-inspector-general-report

One of the most notorious events of the Trump presidency was the attack at Lafayette Square on June 1 last year. Cops from numerous law enforcement agencies suddenly charged into a crowd of peaceful protesters, beating and gassing them badly, and causing dozens of injuries. After the park was cleared, Trump strolled through it and conducted a photo op in front of a nearby church. It was widely reported that the park was cleared because Trump wanted to do that photo op.

The inspector general (IG) of the U.S. Park Police recently published a report taking issue with this history. The "evidence did not support a finding that the USPP cleared the park on June 1, 2020, so that then President Trump could enter the park," wrote IG Mark Lee Greenblatt, who instead found that the park was cleared so that some fencing could be put up.

Multiple news outlets repeated the IG line. "Federal probe: Protest not broken up due to Trump photo op," reads an AP headline. "Report: Park Police didn't clear Lafayette Square protesters for Trump visit," said the Washington Post. Similar stories can be found at NBC, ABC, and elsewhere, which sparked gleeful triumph from right-wing commentators. "Completely and Totally exonerating me in the clearing of Lafayette Park!" said Trump himself in a statement.

But don't be led astray by the headlines or the conservative propaganda here. This report does not actually exonerate Trump, and even the most charitable possible conception of events is hideously damning of the former president.

*snip*

[MerryHolidays]

1. Thank you for posting

Here is the report: https://www.doioig.gov/sites/doioig.gov/files/SpecialReview_USPPActionsAtLafayettePark_Public.pdf

[Kid Berwyn]

2. Trump appointed the IG who wrote the report.

“Thank you for exonerating me.” — Dumpy Anus, who hand picked, er appointed IG Mark Greenblatt.

https://www.doioig.gov/about-us/inspector-general

[Blue Owl]

3. The Flatulent Falsehoods of Fatfuck Forty-Five

[frazzled]

4. The New York Times reported pretty accurately

Note, after description of report:

But the report’s author was careful to warn it was not to be seen as a definitive account of the day, in part because so many other law enforcement agencies were involved. The inspector general, Mark L. Greenblatt, noted that it was not in his jurisdiction to investigate what the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies knew and who might have ordered them to use force to clear the park.

“It was a fulsome review of everything in our jurisdiction,” Mr. Greenblatt said in an interview. “The unfortunate thing is not everything is in our jurisdiction.”

...

The report said Mr. Greenblatt did not seek to interview Mr. Barr, White House personnel or the Secret Service, among others, regarding decisions that did not involve the Park Police. Other agencies involved that day included the National Guard, the United States Capitol Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Mr. Greenblatt noted that the Secret Service started its efforts to clear the park before the Park Police had issued their first dispersal warning. In a footnote, the report called that decision one that was “contrary to the operational plan.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/us/politics/park-police-trump-lafayette-square.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

[LizBeth]

5. Just another of many examples Dem voters told not to believe our eyes. We watched, we saw and

now we are told, ... meh, not a thing.