While President Donald Trump has yet to say a single word about the Monday killing of George Floyd at the hands Minneapolis police officers, presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in contrast has joined with those demanding a "thorough" federal investigation into the incident that has sparked large protests and nationwide calls for justice.
"George Floyd deserved better and his family deserves justice. His life mattered," Biden tweeted late Tuesday as demonstrators were tear-gassed by police in the streets of Minneapolis. "I'm grateful for the swift action in Minneapolis to fire the officers involved—they must be held responsible for their egregious actions. The FBI should conduct a thorough investigation."
As of this writing, Trump had yet to comment on Floyd's death though more than 24 hours had passed since video footage emerged Tuesday showing a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the back of Floyd's neck, disregarding the handcuffed man's repeated pleas for his life. The Minneapolis Police Department claimed in a statement late Monday that Floyd died of an unspecified "medical incident."
While ignoring Floyd's killing, the president on Wednesday did find time to tweet about his "Obamagate" conspiracy theory and Twitter's decision to fact-check his erroneous attack on vote-by-mail.
Last week the Trump campaign had an ad appealing to black voters/criminal justice reformers by blasting Biden’s crime bill work. This week, Biden comments on the George Floyd killing and the "ingrained systemic cycle of injustice," but there's no Trump statement yet. pic.twitter.com/nxNROq5Okh
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) May 27, 2020
Progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon also noted Trump's apparent lack of concern for what happened to Floyd:
Black conservatives, see how your guy is more enraged over his twitter account than Black men being killed by police?
— Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon) May 27, 2020
Biden's demand for a federal investigation into Floyd's killing followed similar calls from civil rights groups and members of Congress.
John Gordon, executive director of the ACLU of Minnesota, said in a statement Tuesday that the "horrific video" of Floyd's killing "underscores the immediate need for a thorough, fair, and transparent investigation" into his death.
"The community needs a comprehensive review and the reform of police practices and policies," said Gordon. "The officers involved—not just the perpetrator, but also those who stood by and did nothing—must be held accountable."
