Uprisings continued across the nation this past weekend in response to former police officer Derek Chauvin's murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black civilian in Minnesota.
The righteous anger was especially strong in Washington, D.C., where protesters formed outside of the White House. On Sunday night, President hid from protestors in an underground bunker while the exterior lights of the White House were turned off.
People mocked the President's cowardice, so on Monday he ordered police to tear gas peaceful protestors in order to clear a path for him to walk to Saint John's Church to take a picture with the Bible.
The President siccing the military police on his own citizens in order to take a photograph rightly made people livid, and that anger was only exacerbated when people learned that the decision was made in part because the President was dismayed at coverage about him cowering in the bunker.
Anderson Cooper's reaction to this said it all.
Watch below.
CNN reporter Kailtan Collins informed Cooper that the President cleared the path because he was frustrated with coverage of him hiding in the bunker.
Cooper, giving an eyeroll for the ages, said:
"Oh my god. Wow. We are in trouble...He was taken to a bunker and he's hiding in a bunker and he's embarrassed that people know that, so what does he have to do? He has to sic police on peaceful protestors so he can make a big show of being the little big man...he always talks about the world laughing, that the world are laughing at the governors. They're not laughing at the governors, they're standing in horror at what is happening."
People could relate to Cooper's frustration.
We are all Anderson Cooper.
— Spaghetti Scissors Guy 2020 (@billyf65) June 2, 2020
Actually stunned. This man is horrifyingly evil.
— Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) June 2, 2020
What Trump just did was flagrantly disturbing and un-American. The most disquieting thing about it is that the GOP will say nil, even go as far as to co-sign such despicable conduct.
— DouglasLMo (@DouglasLMo1) June 2, 2020
This made Trump look even weaker. Should have stayed in the stinky bunker.#bunkerbabytrump #BunkerBoy
— Paulette (@PrincessC9) June 2, 2020
I knew that bunker talk would upset him but I see he retreated to the bunker again after ridiculously holding a book he's never opened much less read
— ɮɨɖɛռ/ӄʟօɮʊƈɦǟʀ (@doodlebug0) June 2, 2020
It didn't even change the perception of Trump fleeing to the bunker.
Donald Trump hid in Dick Cheney's underground bunker.
Scott Walker snuck into the Capitol via a tunnel that came to be known as the “rathole."
These little men have only ever displayed “guts" after they have ordered police to displace dissenters—and shredded the Constitution. https://t.co/nzAYb6gzFH
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) June 2, 2020
Trump needing a military escort to step foot outside the White House made him look weaker than when he hid in the bunker.
— Hamish Mitchell (@H_MitchellPhoto) June 2, 2020
I guess if you've been hiding in the bunker walking to church surrounded by a platoon of armed guards is courage. Trump has lived his life graded on the curve.
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) June 2, 2020
Make it stop.
