House Majority Leader Hoyer says Trump's visit to Episcopal church was photo-op 'worthy' of censure

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that President Trump's walk to St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House is "worthy" of censure.

Early reports indicated that law enforcement used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters between the White House and the church for Trump and his White House team to make the visit late Monday afternoon. The Park Police said on Tuesday that tear gas was not used and that protestors were throwing objects and refused to clear the area after several warnings. 

"It is certainly an action worthy and appropriate to censure and to criticize. It was a terrible act," said Hoyer, the House's No. 2 Democrat. "It was an act that indicated a total lack of understanding and empathy with the anger and frustration and cry for justice that was being put out -- simply to facilitate a photo-op."

Hoyer speculated that Trump walked out of the White House because he "didn't like" the news reports about the Secret Service moving him to a bunker Friday evening during the violent protests in Washington, D.C.

The protests in Washington and elsewhere in the country were sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, who died after being arrested by Minneapolis police. 

"The Secret Service took him there for the safety of the president of the United States of America – that was appropriate," Hoyer said. "But he had to show, which is why he took this action, that he was not cowering in a corner."

He told reporters that House Democrats haven't had a chance to formally discuss a motion to censure of Trump in response to the photo-op outside of the church.