New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo quoted Scripture while chiding President Trump for his recent visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church during protests in Washington.
The Democrat added his voice to a chorus of condemnation aimed at Trump after protesters were forcibly removed from in front of the White House 15 minutes before curfew and before his visit to the nearby historical church on Monday. While there, he posed for photos while holding a Bible.
“The president held up the Bible the other day in Washington, D.C. Here in New York, we actually read the Bible, and there are some passages that I think are especially appropriate for today, in this time of where we are,” Cuomo said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Cuomo read Matthew 5:9, saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” He read additional passages about division and peace. The governor also quoted himself, saying, “You can’t use the military as a political weapon.”
Trump and Cuomo have been feuding over how to respond to protests that have turned violent in New York City. The president urged Cuomo to ask for assistance from the National Guard, but Cuomo has so far refused. Trump said he has considered using the Insurrection Act, a law from 1807 that allows the president to deploy troops into a U.S. city without approval from the governor.
Protests have taken place in cities across the nation in support of changes to policing policies and an end to racial inequality following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
