Senate Democrats introducing resolution to condemn Trump for treatment of protesters

Senate Democrats will introduce a resolution to condemn President Trump for the use of tear gas against protesters outside the White House on Monday evening. 

The resolution, which is expected to be introduced Tuesday, would condemn Trump for “ordering Federal officers to use gas and rubber bullets against the Americans who were peaceably protesting in Lafayette Square in Washington, DC on the night of June 1, 2020, thereby violating the constitutional rights of those peaceful protestors.”  

The National Guard, U.S. Park Police and Secret Service used rubber bullets and tear gas to clear demonstrators from Lafayette Square so that Trump could cross the street to St. John’s Church, which had been set on fire by vandals the night before.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Tuesday that the decision was “appalling,” an “abuse of presidential power” and “may have well been illegal and it was blatantly unconstitutional.” 

“There’s no one home at the White House and the lights are off. I fear for the future of our country, that in this time of immense difficulty, our president is only capable of contributing more division, more fear, more chaos,” he said. 

The Democratic resolution would also throw congressional support behind the right of Americans to protest peacefully and the belief that “violence and looting are unlawful, unacceptable and contrary to the purpose of peaceful protests.” 

The death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed during an arrest by Minneapolis police, has sparked days of protests, and in some cases, riots, across the country.  

Democrats are expected to try to pass the resolution, but it likely faces an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled Senate because of its criticism of Trump.  

Several GOP senators on Tuesday have said they didn’t see the protest or contested that it was peaceful. 

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told Politico that the White House should not have used tear gas to clear peaceful protesters. 

“But obviously, if your question is, should you use tear gas to clear a path so the president can go have a photo-op, the answer is no,” he said.