Trump campaign statement on media ‘tear gas’ lie
“It’s said that a lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can get its pants on. This tear gas lie is proof of that. For nearly an entire day, the whole of the press corps frantically reported the ‘news’ of a tear gas attack on ‘peaceful’ protestors in Lafayette Park, with no evidence to support such claims. We now know through the U.S. Park Police that neither they, nor any of their law enforcement partners, used tear gas to quell rising violence. We also know that police discovered stashes of weapons like glass bottles, baseball bats, and metal poles hidden nearby, which are indeed strange items to have on hand for a ‘peaceful’ protest. Every news organization which reported the tear gas lie should immediately correct or retract its erroneous reporting.”
– Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director