Kellyanne Conway on 'outrage' over Trump's St. John's trip: 'Anarchists won't dissuade us'
'It's not her church, it's not her bible.' Kellyanne Conway responds to criticism of President Trump for paying respect to St. John's church after an arson attack
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway responded Tuesday to the backlash to President Trump's visit to the historic St. John's Church, where the commander-in-chief held up the Bible.
The White House faced immediate criticism Monday night after authorities forcibly cleared protesters who had gathered so that Trump could safely walk to the nearby church.
“Just moments ago, in the Oval Office, I was there with the president, the first lady, and the vice president on either side of [Trump] signing the executive order furthering his policies with respect to religious liberty here in this great country and worldwide,” Conway told “Outnumbered Overtime.”
The Rev. Mariann Budde said in a statement that she was “outraged” by Trump's visit. A place that is known for its regular visits from sitting presidents since the early 19th century, Budde noted that Trump didn’t pray while stopping by the church.
The protesters outside the White House Monday, who were cleared by police prior to Trump’s brief visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church, were “professional agitators” and the media fell for their “calculated” tactics, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said late Monday.
“They knew the street needed to be cleared before 7 pm curfew,” Rubio tweeted. “But they deliberately stayed to trigger police action & get the story they wanted, that “police attacked peaceful protesters.”
The criticism that Trump faced after being photographed outside the church was swift. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement to call out the “photo-op.”
Conway said that the visit by the president is a "continuum" of his support for religious liberty after the church was damaged in a fire Sunday night.
Conway said that 11 days ago, Trump implored governors to reopen places of worship, which had been shuttered due to coronavirus.
“We need more prayer, not less,” Conway said, pushing back on Budde's criticism.
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“That is not - quote - her church, that is not - quote - her Bible. We don’t look into other people’s hearts and souls and discern and judge what their faith is and why the president felt compelled to walk there," Conway said.
"Why did he have that Bible up? That is a symbol to everyone that we will not allow arsonists and anarchists who set that fire ablaze, who really demean the memory of those who have lost their lives in the name of their respected faiths and religions. We won’t allow them to dissuade us from practicing our religion.”
Fox News' David Aaro, Bradford Betz, Vandana Rambaran and The Associated Press contributed to this report