News

Trump Claims George Floyd Would Be Happy With Economic Numbers

After a week of intense criticism over his handling of nationwide protests demanding racial justice in the wake of George Floyd‘s death, President Donald Trump claimed a strong economy was the “greatest thing that could happen for race relations.”

“Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that is happening for our country,” Trump said Friday, referring to May’s lower-than-predicted unemployment rate. “This is a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. This is a great, great day in terms of equality.”

Unemployment in May declined for white and Hispanic workers, but remained roughly the same for African Americans, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor. Among those three groups, Hispanics had the highest unemployment rate at 17.6%, while African Americans reported a rate of 16.8% and whites had 12.4%.

A video of Floyd being killed by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes sparked outrage over historic abuses of power against the African American community by police.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Peaceful protests, some of which were accompanied by looting, took place across the nation, including at the steps of the White House. In some cities, demonstrators were teargassed, shot at with rubber bullets and arrested.

Trump called demonstrators “thugs” and threatened to deploy active-duty military troops on U.S. soil to face off against protesters.

Before he name-dropped Floyd, Trump said that “equal justice under the law must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender or creed.”

Asked Friday what is plan was to meet the demands of protesters, Trump again referred to the economy.

“That’s what my plan is,” he said. “We’re going to have the strongest economy in the world.”

Democratic nominee Joe Biden criticized Trump for politicizing Floyd’s death during his remarks.

“George Floyd’s last words, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,’ have echoed all across this nation, quite frankly, all around the world,” Biden said Friday. “For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd, I frankly think it’s despicable.”

CORONAVIRUS FAQ: WIKI OF MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Katherine Huggins

Recent Posts

VIDEO: Melania Trump Thanks Staff At Campaign Headquarters

https://youtu.be/yRpktEU6KRc On election day, Nov. 5, Melania Trump joined former President Donald Trump at his…

14 hours ago

VIDEO: Kamala Harris Concedes Election But ‘Doesn’t Concede The Fight That Fueled This Campaign’

On Wednesday afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded her loss to Republican opponent Donald Trump…

14 hours ago

Donald Trump Defeats Kamala Harris In 2024 Presidential Race

On Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump celebrated his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris…

20 hours ago

Critics Pounce After Trump Simulates Sex Act On Mic At Milwaukee Rally

A Friday rally for former President Donald Trump in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, took a turn after…

2 days ago

VIDEO: Fans React After Beyonce Endorses Kamala Harris At Houston Rally: ‘I Am Here As A Mother’

https://youtu.be/q2oV_MCuTNE Beyonce endorsed Kamala Harris for the presidency when she joined the Democratic candidate at…

2 days ago

VIDEO: Oprah Speaks At Kamala Harris Rally: ‘If We Don’t Show Up, We May Not Have Power To Cast Another Ballot Again’

https://youtu.be/zlWDb0SSzXs Oprah Winfrey joined Kamala Harris at a star-studded rally in Philadelphia on Monday night,…

2 days ago