UNSHOCKER: New IG report confirms police did NOT clear Lafayette Park area for Trump [UPDATED]

A new IG report has come out confirming what we already knew about last year’s clearing of Lafayette Park, that it wasn’t done so Trump walk across and pay respects to St. John’s church:

ABC NEWS – U.S. Park Police did not clear Lafayette Park and the nearby area of protesters on June 1, 2020, so President Donald Trump could walk from the White House over to St. John’s Church, but learned of his interest in surveying the site hours after they already had begun planning to clear the area to put up new fencing, according to a new watchdog report.

Citing interviews, radio dispatches, videos and other records from Park Police, the 38-page report echoes claims from senior Trump administration officials last year that the park wasn’t cleared for Trump’s controversial photo op.

Trump has already responded to the report:

Within minutes of the report’s release, Trump issued a statement through his office claiming vindication.

“Thank you to the Department of the Interior Inspector General for Completely and Totally exonerating me in the clearing of Lafayette Park!” he said.

“As we have said all along, and it was backed up in today’s highly detailed and professionally written report, our fine Park Police made the decision to clear the park to allow a contractor to safely install antiscale fencing to protect from Antifa rioters, radical BLM protestors, and other violent demonstrators who are causing chaos and death to our cities. In this instance, they tried burning down the church the day before the clearing. Fortunately, we were there to stop the fire from spreading beyond the basement – and it was our great honor and privilege to do so. Again, thank you to the Inspector General!” Trump’s statement said.

Let me remind you of what was accurately reported a year ago with regard to the clearing of Lafayette Square:

Attorney General Bill Barr ordered law enforcement officials to extend the perimeter of Lafayette Square before President Trump ventured outside the White House on Monday to visit sites vandalized during violent protests, administration officials tell Fox News.

According to one senior administration official, the plan had been made to extend the perimeter of the park — which is across the street from the White House — by one block. Both peaceful and violent protests have taken place at Lafayette Square in recent days.

But a senior Justice Department official told Fox News the decision was made early Monday morning after the Treasury Department and St. John’s Church — which are both in the area — were vandalized the night before.

On Monday afternoon, according to an official, Barr went to survey the scene. But after arriving, the source said, he was upset to find out the perimeter had not been widened like it was supposed to be earlier in the day. Barr, who was surrounded by his security detail, toured the police line keeping the protestors at bay while demonstrators shouted at him. The night before, fires were started and buildings were vandalized in the area.

Someone threw a bottle at Barr when he was there, the official said. He gave the order to move people out before the president arrived. Shortly after, police mounted on horses used smoke to move protesters demonstrating against police brutality.

This was reported the day after Lafayette was cleared, but the deranged anti-Trump media still insisted that the clearing of Lafayette Square was done for Trump’s ‘photo op’ and thus sowed nothing but outrage in the American public. Even AG Barr’s own former prep school was under attack to delist him from the distinguished-alumni list. Mattis bought into the media narrative and criticized the Trump administration and so on and so forth.

Now we know that what Barr said back then was the truth, but these media propagandists will never apologize for their awful reporting on this, once again choosing their hatred of Trump over the facts in the case.

 
UPDATE:


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