Headline RoundupJune 9th, 2021

Report Finds Lafayette Park Cleared for Fence Installation, Not For Trump Church Visit

Summary from the AllSides News Team

A government report released Wednesday found that the U.S. Park Police (USPP) cleared protesters from Lafayette Park near the White House on June 1, 2020 to allow contractors to install security fencing; not because then-President Donald Trump wanted to walk to a nearby church for a photo. The report also found that the USPP "begun developing its operational plan" and that "the fencing contractor had arrived in the park" hours before anyone knew of Trump's plan to walk to the church. At the time, many Democratic lawmakers, some Republican lawmakers and several media outlets including the New York Times (Lean Left bias), NPR (Center bias) and USA Today (Center bias) framed the clash between law enforcement and protesters as a result of Trump's decision to walk to the church. After the report's release, Trump thanked the inspector general in a statement “for completely and totally exonerating me in the clearing of Lafayette Park!”

Some coverage from the left and center highlighted the fact that some D.C. officers and BOP officers used chemical agents to clear the area. Many right-rated sources highlighted other outlets who had initially framed the clearing as a result of Trump's visit to the church, accusing them of clear anti-Trump bias and factual inaccuracies.

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