Trump briefly taken to White House bunker during protests Friday
President Trump was briefly moved to the White House bunker on Friday evening as protests were being held near the White House, CBS News confirmed. A senior administration official said the action was taken out of an abundance of caution.
On Sunday, the Justice Department deployed U.S. Marshals and Drug Enforcement Administration agents to Lafayette Park outside the White House to assist the National Guard, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec confirmed to CBS News.
The nation's capital was rocked by protests throughout the weekend that continued Sunday night. Fires were started and buildings vandalized in the vicinity of the White House. Obscene messages were spray-painted on Blair House — the president's guest house. Monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial, were defaced.
At Lincoln Memorial. @wusa9 #GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/1Kfr0wDFZz
— Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) May 31, 2020
Cars being set on fire in downtown DC. About two blocks from the White House. @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/id9j662MkU
— Fin Gomez (@finnygo) June 1, 2020
Small fires were sets on streets — as well as in the AFL-CIO headquarters lobby and the basement of the historic St. John's Church. The church, just a few steps away, was built in 1815, across Lafayette Park from the White House; every president since James Madison has attended services there.
Earlier in the day and even as late as about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, the demonstrations near the White House had been relatively calm and peaceful. On the streets protesters chanted, "Hands up" and "What's his name? George Floyd" and "I can't breathe."
Late Sunday evening, police scattered the crowds away from Lafayette Park using flash bangs and tear gas.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser put a curfew in place Sunday to try to restore calm. Usually, there are lights illuminating the White House at night. On Sunday, just before the 11 p.m. curfew, as the protests continued, those White House lights were turned off.
Exterior lights at WH turned off just before 11pm as protests continued in vicinity. pic.twitter.com/EiqH0TfmOw
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 1, 2020
Ben Tracy, Clare Hymes, Fin Gomez, Nikole Killion, Mark Knoller and Julia Boccagno contributed to this report.
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