Trump focuses on whites killed by police, defends Confederate flag


“So are whites. White people too, “Trump said emphatically as he looked at Herridge.” What a terrible question to ask. That’s what white people are like. More white people, by the way. More white people.

Numerous studies have shown that African Americans are more likely to die during interactions with law enforcement officers than whites. One study It revealed that although 52 percent of those killed by police in 17 states between 2009 and 2012 were white, blacks had a 2.8 times higher death rate than whites.

Herridge also asked Trump for his views on the Confederation’s battle flag, which has faced renewed calls for expulsion from public places. NASCAR and the Marine Corps notably banned the flag last month. Herridge specifically noted that the flag is a painful reminder of slavery for many Americans, but Trump stepped in to say that “people love it.”

“I know people who like the Confederate flag, and they don’t think about slavery,” said the president. “I look at NASCAR. You go to NASCAR. You had those flags all over the place. He was arrested. I just think it’s freedom of expression, whether it’s Confederate flags or Black Lives Matter or whatever else you want to talk about. It is freedom of expression. “

Trump also came out in defense of a St. Louis couple who went viral after the videos showed them pointing guns and yelling at anti-racism protesters walking through their home. The couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, later had their weapon confiscated by police as part of an investigation into the confrontation.

Trump defended the couple as guarding against an angry crowd about to destroy their home, evoking Second Amendment themes under threat that he has frequently used as a campaign tool.

“They were going to be mistreated and the house would be totally looted and probably burned down like they were trying to set churches on fire,” Trump said. “And these people were standing there, never used [their gun]They were legal, the weapons, and now I understand someone local, they want to prosecute these people. That is a misfortune.”

the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found that the couple had a history of litigious relationships and confrontation with their neighbors, in at least one case to gain control of what had been designated as communal land.