Trump: 'the nation needs law and order'

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the nation needed "law and order" and called the death of George Floyd "a terrible thing."

Speaking to Newsmax channel host Sean Spicer, Trump's former White House press secretary, the president said Floyd's death "should never have happened."

Trump said he doesn't think it will be necessary to send the military into U.S. cities to stem the protests and violence that followed  Floyd's death.

He put a political spin on his criticism of states that have seen violence.

Trump called the situation in New York a "disaster," adding that if Democrat mayor Bill de Blasio doesn't "get it straightened out soon, I'll take care of it."

He also defended his Monday evening presidential photo opportunity in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, which had previously sustained damage from protesters.

The Rev. Mariann Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, said that she was “outraged” by Trump’s visit and noted that he didn’t pray while visiting the landmark, which has been visited by sitting presidents since the early 19th century.

Trump on Wednesday brushed off the critics, insisting that his visit had been "a great idea."

Trump’s religious outreach marked his latest efforts in a series of overtures to mobilize conservative voters of faith, particularly the white evangelical Christians who are among his most loyal supporters.