A protester prays in front of the memorial of George Floyd who died in custody on May 26, 2020 in Minneapolis. (Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images)
May 27, 2020
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.
\u201cLast week the Trump campaign had an ad appealing to black voters/criminal justice reformers by blasting Biden\u2019s 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.\u201d— David Weigel (@David Weigel) 1590596445
Progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon also noted Trump's apparent lack of concern for what happened to Floyd:
\u201c@realDonaldTrump Black conservatives, see how your guy is more enraged over his twitter account than Black men being killed by police?\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1590589340
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."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
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.
\u201cLast week the Trump campaign had an ad appealing to black voters/criminal justice reformers by blasting Biden\u2019s 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.\u201d— David Weigel (@David Weigel) 1590596445
Progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon also noted Trump's apparent lack of concern for what happened to Floyd:
\u201c@realDonaldTrump Black conservatives, see how your guy is more enraged over his twitter account than Black men being killed by police?\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1590589340
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."
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.
\u201cLast week the Trump campaign had an ad appealing to black voters/criminal justice reformers by blasting Biden\u2019s 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.\u201d— David Weigel (@David Weigel) 1590596445
Progressive radio host Benjamin Dixon also noted Trump's apparent lack of concern for what happened to Floyd:
\u201c@realDonaldTrump Black conservatives, see how your guy is more enraged over his twitter account than Black men being killed by police?\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1590589340
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."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.