H-332 LivelihoodGroups of people
Protesters in Lafayette Square
Severity 2, Livelihood: measures what was taken from the people affected, not how loud the story was.
What was done
On June 1, 2020, mostly peaceful protesters near the White House were forcibly cleared, including with tear gas used by Bureau of Prisons officers. He then walked to St. John’s Church and posed holding a Bible.
What the courts said
The Interior Department inspector general found in June 2021 that the Park Police cleared the park so a contractor could install fencing, not for his walk, and that planning began hours before officials knew of a possible visit. The report faulted inaudible dispersal warnings and called the Bureau of Prisons’ tear gas use “inconsistent with” the commander’s plan. Protesters sued him and other officials (Black Lives Matter D.C. v. Trump). In June 2021 a judge dismissed the damages claims against him and other federal officials; an appeals court upheld that in June 2023. In April 2022 the federal government agreed to Park Police and Secret Service policy changes to settle claims for injunctive relief. Damages claims against the United States and D.C. police were still pending as of 2025.
His response
He said the report was “completely and totally exonerating me in the clearing of Lafayette Park” and that the Park Police cleared the area to protect the fencing work from violent demonstrators.
Sources
- NPR via KPBS, June 9, 2021kpbs.orghttps://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/06/09/watchdog-report-says-police-did-not-clear #251
- UPI, June 9, 2021upi.comhttps://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/06/09/Watchdog-says-police-cleared-Lafayette-Park-to-install-fencing-not-for-Trump-photo-op/5211623267244/ #365
- ACLU of D.C., case page, updated July 29, 2025acludc.orghttps://www.acludc.org/en/cases/black-lives-matter-dc-v-trump #12
Status checked October 15, 2026. Court cases move; before relying on a pending matter, open the source for later developments.