President Trump
Donald John TrumpWayfair refutes QAnon-like conspiracy theory that he is trafficking children Stone criticizes the US justice system in the first television interview since Trump commuted his sentence The federal appeals court rules that the Trump administrator cannot withhold the federal grants from California sanctuary cities MORE He offered incendiary comments about the race in two separate interviews on Tuesday, including answering a question about black police killings, saying police also kill white people.
Trump called it a “terrible” question by Catherine Herridge of CBS News, and separately defended the use of the Confederate flag as freedom of expression.
In a second interview, he defended a white couple who went viral after brandishing weapons in front of their home when Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Louis walked past them.
The comments are likely to draw strong criticism for Trump, who has recently focused on his focus on culturally divisive issues, including attacks on the Black Lives Matter movement and his defense of the Confederate flag and Confederate landmarks.
“So are whites. So are whites. What a terrible question to ask, “Trump told Herridge when asked why African-Americans continued to die at the hands of the police.” So are whites. More white people, by the way. More white people.
Trump’s response to CBS papered over statistics showing that black Americans are more likely to be killed by the police than white Americans. While police departments do not have a mandate to record statistics on police killings, several studies have pointed out how police killings have disproportionately affected African Americans.
A study published by Harvard researchers 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.
An analysis from the Washington Post updated earlier this year found that the rate at which black police officers kill black Americans is more than double the rate of their white counterparts, although white Americans, who account for more of the US population, account for the highest number of deaths.
In a separate interview with the conservative TownHall store, Trump defended Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters passing by their neighborhood on their way to the mayor’s house during a protest in late last month.
“They would be badly beaten if they were lucky. Agree? If they were lucky, “Trump said. “They were going to be mistreated, and the house would be totally looted and probably burned down as if they were trying to burn churches.”
“These people were standing there, they never used it, and they were legal, weapons,” Trump continued. “And now I understand someone local, they want to prosecute these people. That is a misfortune.”
The McCloskeys, who are white, have defended their actions and argued that they stood firm after protesters passed through their closed community.
Trump did not address the comments during a Rose Garden event later Tuesday, nor was he asked about them. The president’s comments focused mainly on China and criticism of the alleged Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden
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The country has been rocked by protests since the May 25 murder of George Floyd, who died after a white police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Protesters call for police reforms and measures to tackle racial inequality.
The president in recent weeks has threatened to veto a massive defense policy bill if it includes an amendment to remove the names of Confederate leaders from military bases, criticized NASCAR’s decision to ban the Confederate flag from its events, and said that the Cleveland and Washington Indians Redskins considered the name changes “politically correct.” Trump has been particularly outraged by the mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio
Bill de BlasioVandal throws red paint on the Black Lives Matter mural in front of the Trump Tower. The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Fauci says focus should be on pausing reopens rather than returning to stops; WHO director advocates international unity in response to pandemic Trump calls New York City ‘hell’ after court defines summons from city prosecutors MORE(D) ‘s decision to paint a “Black Lives Matter” mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, describing the phrase as a “symbol of hatred.”
Observations have been out of step with public polls that have shown that most Americans agree with the goal of the Black Lives Matter movement and believe that African Americans are disproportionately targeted by the police.
The president initially showed openness to police reform measures after the death of Floyd, who he has repeatedly condemned. But it has changed its tone since it signed an executive order to encourage reforms to police training that critics branded as toothless to offer more comprehensive support for law enforcement.
Trump organized an event at the White House on Monday with the intention of highlighting the good deeds of police officers. Guests included a woman whose baby was drowning before an officer intervened, a woman who had his purse stolen, and a man who had overdosed multiple times. The president targeted the movement “underfund the police” and offered his support to the country’s law enforcement officers.
“They are heroes. And they have been treated unfairly for the last period of time, but in recent years. What is happening is terrible, “said Trump.
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