President Trump
Donald John TrumpIvanka Trump launches Goya Foods products on Twitter Sessions defends the challenge: “I leave the elected office with my integrity intact” Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson wins the second round of Texas MORE He said Tuesday that “more” white Americans die at the hands of the police than black Americans and criticized a journalist for asking why African Americans continue to die in police custody.
“So are whites. So are whites. What a terrible question to ask, ”Trump told Catherine Herridge of CBS News when asked about the death of black Americans at the hands of the police. “So are whites. More white people, by the way. More white people.
Police departments do not have a mandate to report statistics on police killings; However, studies have shown that police killings disproportionately impact African Americans.
An analysis by the Washington Post updated earlier this month found that the rate at which black police officers kill black Americans is more than double the rate of their white counterparts. White Americans, who represent a larger portion of the United States population, account for more deaths at the hands of the police overall.
A study published by researchers at Harvard University in June that analyzed data from 2013 to 2017 found that black Americans were more than three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans.
Meanwhile, an Associated Press-NORC survey released in June found that 61 percent of Americans believe that police in most communities are more likely to use deadly force against a black individual than a white individual. The survey also found that about half of American adults say police violence is a very or extremely serious problem.
Trump’s remarks follow national protests against police brutality and racism that were fueled by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis police custody in late May.
Trump described Floyd’s death as a serious tragedy and also denounced the rebel protests that have accompanied the protests after his murder. Trump’s response to the protests has been extremely controversial, particularly his comments on the matter and the threat of using active duty members to stifle protesters.
In June, Trump signed an executive order aimed at encouraging reforms to police training.
Since then, he has used official events to highlight his support for law enforcement, including a round table on Monday that aimed to amplify stories about police officers helping Americans and voice their opposition to the “recall movement of police”. Meanwhile, discussions of police reform legislation on Capitol Hill have largely stalled.
Trump has also come under fire for defending the Confederate flag.
The president has vocally opposed the name change of military bases named for Confederate leaders and last week suggested that NASCAR had seen a drop in its rankings after banning the flag in its careers.
Trump told CBS in Tuesday’s interview that he is simply embracing “freedom of expression.” He did not respond directly when asked if he would be comfortable with supporters displaying the flag at his campaign events, and suggested that the flag does not necessarily serve as a reminder of slavery.
“People love it, and I don’t see it. I know people who like the Confederate flag, and they don’t think about slavery,” Trump said. “I just think it’s free speech, whether it’s Confederate flags or Black Lives Matter or whatever else you want to talk about. It is freedom of expression. ”
Updated 5:24 pm
.
