Lithuanian-American: How his opinion of Trump radically changed in just a few weeks: I was once his biggest skeptic



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Dozens of American cities are filled with anger at the death of the black George Floyd as police try to arrest him. The shocking death of a 46-year-old man while lying on the ground in handcuffs and a white officer holding his neck pressed against him became a symbol of widespread police brutality against African-Americans, BNS wrote.

“It is very difficult for me to call what is happening today protests. I call it what we have to call it: it is a riot. I had to drive through several streets where I could see people protesting from afar. The image was apocalyptic. I had to turn around , because the two cars that were circulating in front of me did not stop completely, but they were hit with their fists, because they passed the angry young people, “said R. Underis.

The woman said she was in a company car, so she was afraid of risk because it was a new car, and she chose another way.

“I was afraid that the car would be damaged. It is difficult for me to understand the reasons why these young people are on the street today, because most of them are young and why, like locusts, they are horrifying everything that happens to them , destroying shops and destroying cities.

I have no other answer, as such, that all this chaos is a well-organized political attack in the run-up to the presidential elections. This version is backed by a lot of friends I know and I tend to support them, “Underis said.

The woman believes that youth aggression during protests may be linked to both quarantine tensions and the influence of the political forces concerned.

“Protests can be peaceful when they are motivated to solve a problem for the better, and when they are voluntary and without thinking. Youth aggression may be in part a consequence of quarantine, and I do not rule out the possibility that it may be supported by the political forces involved. These may be the reasons why these events have a place here and now, “Underis said.


Valdas and Renata Underis

Valdas and Renata Underis

© Stop frame

In times of uncertainty, try to live within your means.

The woman who emigrated to the United States said that the issue of coronavirus and its economic effects was partly relevant to her.

“The coronavirus issue has affected everyone, and it is relevant to me, in part, because of all the panic it has caused, we are seeing a catastrophic situation in society and in world markets today.” People are losing their jobs en masse, they are overwhelmed by uncertainty about the future, and they are very tired of isolation. Not surprisingly, because of this, aggressive moods prevail in society, families collapse, and people suffer from psychosomatic illnesses, “said R. Underis.

The woman herself said that the current situation is not something very unusual for her.

“Since I came here recently from Lithuania, where I never felt financial stability, now is not uncommon for me.” After all, the United States is a country of opportunity, and everyone will find something to do if they are not tired of working. I have always lived within my means, so my habits have not changed, the only thing I lack are the good pizzerias and restaurants (that do not work unless they are take-away) that I am used to in the United States. Since I don’t like it and I don’t have time to produce, I hope to see you again, “Underis said.

The woman is not surprised that social unrest and the coronavirus are topics that politicians are talking about a lot right now.

“In part, the United States is trying to manipulate them into the pre-election fight. It is unprecedented when all the presidential candidates were lost somewhere,” Underis said.

According to women, Democrats are increasingly trying to discredit Republicans through their actions or inactions in the face of social tensions.

“In the end, that made even my most skeptical of Trump’s friends and admirers become his admirers in just a few weeks.” And if many people try to say that the president has no chance of a second term, I can safely say that the Democrats have expanded Trump’s rise and helped many understand that the United States needs him in these difficult times, “he said. Underis.

The woman said she had previously been “Trump’s biggest skeptic.”

“Today I thank you and I hope to change your sleeves and order the country of chaos. I think that the first job that will add weight to the elections is (despite the innuendoes and manipulations) the introduction of troops in the cities and the help of bringing before justice to the main organizers, initiators and supporters of this chaos and, if that turns out, donors. “If the president passes this test and shows initiative in the next few days, I think he has already won the elections,” Underis said.

In the current situation, he personally liked the reaction of the residents of the city of Naperville, where many Lithuanians live, to the violence.

“The cyclists guarded the shops and did not allow them to be destroyed, and the common people took the brooms in their hands and ordered the city. Give hope that goodness always triumphs. Even when the situation seems hopeless, “Underis said.

Mood in the country – to the detriment of Trump

Donald trump

Donald trump

However, public opinion polls do not show that moods similar to those prevailing in the Lithuanian environment spoken by Delfi reflect general social trends. June 3 A survey by Ipsos, published by the Reuters news agency, shows that most Americans disagree with Trump’s response to the unrest. 64 percent. 27 percent of adult Americans were more supportive of protesters. – I did not support them, and 9%. He said he was not sure how to assess the situation.

According to Reuters, the poll results show a political risk to Trump, who threatened to use the military to stop the riots. In the November presidential election, Trump will compete with Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

An independent poll by Reuters and Ipsos shows Biden leads Trump by 10 percentage points, the largest gap since the former vice president’s election in April.

Reveals how little progress has been made

According to foreign policy, riots in one of the richest cities in the United States after another police death reveal little progress.

It all started in Minneapolis, one of the richest and most stable cities in the country. Riots and protests spread from New York to Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday, and a state of emergency was declared in Atlanta. Aggressive clashes with the police continued throughout the weekend in many cities, including Washington, with secret service agents transporting President D. Trump to an underground bunker when protests began in Lafayette Park, near the White House. .

It all started with a problem that many Americans no longer took as seriously as they used to or simply ignored: the aggressive treatment of ethnic minorities by the police. But the problem returned and shocked the entire country, and legitimate protesters took advantage of criminals and vandals. However, the murder of George Floyd has only exacerbated the long-standing tensions in Minneapolis, not only because of the large number of black police murders in the city, but also because of growing economic inequality, unequal education and opportunities, and more recently the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on black communities. There were not only more infected and dead, but also more unemployed.

Foreign policy journalists said the damage would be lasting, as many small businesses were unlikely to recover and new houses were needed to burn, leaving ruins in some places.

Some civil rights experts say such events were expected and that, given the mounting social tensions and arrests based on racial discrimination in recent weeks, it was only a matter of time before the people’s anger erupted. Black men wearing masks, including a doctor in Miami, who appeared to have volunteered for diagnostic tests of the homeless, were frequently detained and arrested after the introduction of COVID-19.

The death of E. Garner along with the 2014 death of Michael Brown, who was shot to death in Ferguson, Missouri in August, sparked protests across the country and launched the Black Lives Matter movement. Some civil rights experts and activists acknowledge that the events in Ferguson and the number of cases of police violence filmed by the population increased, and the government’s response to such incidents improved slightly.

The problem arose in the context of the elections.

The issue of racial and police violence will undoubtedly be addressed in 2020. in presidential election campaigns. Initially mourning Floyd’s death, Trump later escalated tensions by citing supporters of segregation in the 1960s and 1970s (when the United States civil rights movement emerged).

On his Twitter account, he wrote: “When the robbery begins, the shooting will begin.” It is particularly surprising that at a press conference in the White House courtyard on Friday, Trump generally declined to speak about Minneapolis and said, “I came to speak about China.” to announce the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization, which he says surrenders to the influence of Beijing).

Biden, meanwhile, the most realistic candidate for the Democratic Party, said Trump was “demanding violence against American citizens.” Biden said Floyd’s death had revealed an “open wound” in the nation’s history caused by racism, which was still “polluting” the United States. However, as he often behaved during other crises, Trump seemed ready to satisfy his mostly conservative constituents. When protesters attacked CNN headquarters in Atlanta early Saturday morning, Trump shared a message from his conservative supporter, Twitter, in which he wrote that television was “devastated by what he called noble and just riots.”

The protests received international evaluations.

The peaceful protests in the United States protesting the “shocking” death of George Floyd after his police arrest are “more than legitimate,” the German foreign minister said on Tuesday, the BNS reported.

“The peaceful protests we see in the United States … are understandable and more than legitimate. I hope that these peaceful protests do not continue to generate violence, but I hope they will change something in the United States,” Heiko Maas told reporters.

Law enforcement officers also attacked journalists during the protests. As a result, Maas also emphasized that journalists “must be able to carry out their task, to report, without fear of their safety.”

“Democratic countries must apply the highest standards to defend press freedom. In this context, all violence must not only be criticized, but also prosecuted and explained to effectively protect journalists who work at their jobs,” he said. .

Among the journalists attacked is a correspondent for the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).

According to DW, Stefan Simons was “shot by the American police two nights in a row while reporting on the #BlackLivesMatter protests in Minneapolis.” The American Black Lives Matter movement was sparked six years ago by police brutality against African Americans.

“For cases like the one involving DW, we will contact US officials to find out the exact circumstances,” Maas said.

The head of EU diplomacy has condemned the murder of Floyd

Europe is “shocked and overwhelmed” by the police murder of black suspect George Floyd in the United States, EU Chief Diplomat Josep Borrell said Tuesday in condemning the “abuse of power”.

The United States is currently making furious protests over the death of Floyd, an unarmed man killed when a white police officer pressed his neck on the road, and President Donald Trump ordered the military to restore order.

Borrell called on US authorities to curb the “unwarranted use of force,” stressing that the 27-nation bloc supported the right to peaceful protest.

“We Europeans, like the people of the United States, are shocked and overwhelmed by the death of George Floyd,” Borrell told reporters in Brussels.

“I believe that all societies must be vigilant and avoid the unreasonable use of force and ensure that such incidents are responded to safely, effectively and with full respect for the law and human rights,” he added.

Trump said Monday that he was sending “thousands of well-armed troops” to restore peace when the United States recovered from one of the worst riots in years.

However, Borrell cautioned that democratic societies have a special duty to act responsibly and “not to use their capabilities in the way that led to the very, very tragic death of George Floyd.”

“It is an abuse of power and it must be condemned; it must be addressed in the United States and everywhere,” said the head of EU diplomacy.

“Let me repeat: all lives are important, black lives are also important,” said Borrell, referring to the United States’ anti-systemic racism movement.

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