Parroting their mainstream media counterparts, a panel of “experts” at Univision's Despierta America expressed their “shock” at seeing President Donald Trump stand before St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., with a Bible in his hand.
The only shock worth mentioning was how the panel gathered together in a section called Sin Rollos, roughly translated as “no nonsense,” to completely ignore why Trump walked from the White House to the historic St. John's Church: It had been burned by violent mobs the night before. But that was not as important as turning the photo-op narrative into a call for action to vote against Trump in November:
CARLOS CALDERON: How did you feel when you saw the Bible? I was shocked. I'm in shock.
MAITY INTERIANO: I personally find it more disrespectful for the circumstance more for the background we know. Because we know that it is not a person who used it because who believes, has that faith, practitioner, he was doing it simply because he is taking advantage of a situation, he is taking advantage of it.
CALDERON: Obviously, but that person is not him. I mean, it's the people who follow him and who voted for him who were going to answer that call. But the truth is that for everyone else, I think it was a pretty dangerous game President Donald Trump is playing. Those of you in your little house, please study the situation. Educate yourself, elections are coming.
A dangerous game would be the tolerance of violence in the name of Univision's political agenda. To make some sense out of their senseless chatter, host Carlos Calderón quoted the Reverend Mariann Budde, of the Episcopalian church --- obviously a Trump hater. According to Calderón, Budde “did not even get a teeny courtesy call to clear the area, to tell her that they were going to use tear gas to use her church as a backdrop, as a prop. She said the President used the bible and one of her churches and her archdiocese as a backdrop and without permission to give an unethical message regarding Jesus' message. And, she doesn't want President Trump talking for St. Johns.”
Instead of questioning whether Donald Trump actually prays or falsely accusing him of inciting violence – the Univision audience deserves to get the complete story, versus the current alternative of passing personal opinions as news.
Press "expand" to read the complete transcript:
Univision's Despierta América
June 2, 2020CARLOS CALDERON: Welcome! Welcome to "Sin rollo". The only program where all opinions count. All of theml. Even yours. You know. We're just going to start to let you speak out on the show. But today it's just us. Maria Antoineta Collins is on our panel.
MARIA ANTONIETA COLLINS: Right here, like every day.
CARLOS: Maity Interiano
CALDERON: Angeles Medina, how are you?
CALDERON: And the man who only needs one word: Jomari
JOMARI: Maria Antonieta also needs a word
CALDERON: Not even a word, an initial. That's cache. Listen, let's start with the subject that's really in everyone's mouth and it's these protests in which, well, all over the country they've been happening after the death of Mr. George Floyd. And this is President Trump's controversial image yesterday when protests scattered in front of the White House so he could pose. These aren't the images. These are the images we're seeing all over the country of protests, of tension. But this was after he did this. Well, the president went to St. John's Episcopal Church, with a bible in hand. Creating an incredible controversy. The truth is, protests about racism don't stop. And that's why President Trump and that bible is making headlines. The truth is that even the bishop of Washington, the Reverend Mariann Budde, stated that she did not even get a teeny courtesy call to clear the area, to tell her that they were going to use tear gas to use her church as a backdrop, as a prop according to her. She said the President used the bible and one of her churches and her archdiocese as a backdrop and without permission to give an unethical message regarding Jesus' message. And, she doesn't want President Trump talking for St. Johns, we're not associated with this president's messages. Mac, I'd like you to put the church in context, the religion this church professes, and what the president professes.
COLLINS: It's an episcopal church, but beyond that it's a symbol. It's very close to the White House, really. And it is the church where all the presidents of the United States, at least in the modern age, have gone to pray. They've been to the services. They've been there. It's a moment of respect. Um, the Kennedys. The Kennedy family, not only President Kennedy, who was the first Catholic president of this country, but Robert Kennedy, the attorney general, his brother. I mean, everyone in history went there to pray.
JOMARI: Well, I think the controversy is a little absurd. A lot of people use religions to give messages, and I may be wrong, but the controversy I think comes here. The other day when there were so many demonstrations in front of the White House, it was said that he had gotten into the security bunker. It's said that he didn't like it very much. Like saying he was being intimidated and tying him up. So, at the same time that he was in the Garden of Roses giving a speech, talking about peace and nonviolence, at the same time there were cameras outside where the policemen, at the same time as he was talking about peace, the cops attacked those who were there peacefully. What are you attacking them for? To remove them, for the President to come out. And that's the controversy.
[They speak at once]
INTERLIAN: This occurs 15 minutes before the curfew expired. And that's what they say. Of course, the authorities, once the curfew passes, they have the authority to evict anyone who is protesting. This happened 15 minutes before so that the President can effectively go and do this photo op, as they call is a photography opportunity, and that's the reason for the discontent. But the importance of the church, as Mac explained, uh, historically and what matters, the meaning that religion had, but also for many things. How he handled the Bible, which he didn't open, didn't use, took it completely out of context, and that causes a lot of annoyance.
CALDERON: It's amazing how every step of this story causes some kind of negative feeling. The experience here, I saw it live, and I couldn't believe it what I was seeing. But what struck me in particular, apart from the Bible, is the number of young people being displaced, moved. You saw it. How did you feel?
MEDINA: I think it also has to do with the fact that it's coming out of a tweet from the president that has caused a lot of controversy, where Trump incites violence and also a little, really, like threatening violence. Then, a couple of days, hours later, he stops in front of this church which is symbolic. And I think this too, it's like, contradictory.
COLLINS: And sorry, not just the church. Here's another one of the huge contradictions. Using a bible. When they say that he is not a president like his predecessors who went to churches on Sundays, that used the Bible not only during the day they were sworn into office, but as part of that spiritual protection. Not a bible when you don't resort to religion.
CALDERON: Right. Using tear gas seems cruel to me
JOMARI: Yes, but also, I am in shock that 10 days ago we were just talking about the coronavirus. The government was in a crisis, because they had already said so many things that were contradictory. Suddenly, everything becomes the protests. For three or four days the leaders of power say absolutely nothing. Silence. They let everyone fight in the streets. Because leaders, nobody, does anything. And all of a sudden, they come out to say we're here to protect them, we are protecting you. But if the leaders are responsible for what happens on their streets. I say, but we're being manipulated again for political things because elections are coming again. And we're all here
[They speak at once]
INTERIANO: The authorities have not been silent. All this, seven days ago in Michigan, sorry, in Minneapolis
JOMARI: Since the President tweeted that started it all and people took to the streets with a tweet that wasn't peace and love, until he came out to say this, it's been several days. I'm talking about all the leaders who haven't stood up.
INTERIANO: No, no, no
CALDERON: How did you feel when you saw the Bible? I was shocked. I'm in shock.
INTERIANO: I personally find it more disrespectful for the circumstance more for the background we know. Because we know that it is not a person who used it, because who believes, has that faith, practitioner, he was doing it simply because he is taking advantage of a situation, he is taking advantage of it.
CALDERON: Obviously, but that person is not him. I mean, it's the people who follow him and who voted for him who were going to answer that call. But the truth is that for everyone else, I think it was a pretty dangerous game President Donald Trump is playing. Those of you in your little house, please study the situation. Educate yourself, elections are coming.
