President Donald Trump on Friday claimed police murder victim George Floyd was looking down from heaven in happiness at a "great day" as unrest around the nation over police violence and racism continued.
"Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that's happening for our country," Trump said in an apparent reference to unspecified improvements in equality under the law. "This is a great day for him, it's a great day for everybody."
Trump imagining George Floyd’s reaction to the jobs numbers: “Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country. This is a great day for him, it’s a great day for everybody.” pic.twitter.com/YLBSkk9Wk7
— Adam Cancryn (@adamcancryn) June 5, 2020
The death of Floyd, who was killed by four Minneapolis police officers last week, has sparked a nationwide demonstration movement against police violence and racism.
Trump's comments, made during an hour-long press conference on his signing of the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020 and Friday's better-than-expected jobs report, drew anger from critics.
The most racist President just declared today "a great day for George Floyd" I kid you not.
— Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) June 5, 2020
Despicable. Grotesque. https://t.co/Rzwd4qQwR9
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— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) June 5, 2020
The president just said it's a great day for George Floyd.
No one seems to care that within the job numbers African-American unemployment went up.
There's zero conversation about feeding the hungry and I am logging off for a while.
— First Amendment Protector (@loufreshwater) June 5, 2020
"In a single statement, Trump manages to denigrate the memory of George Floyd and his experience, while also showing an utter lack of sympathy for the plight of millions of Americans still struggling through and economic crisis," tweeted Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington research director Robert Maguire. "A truly stunning level of tone-deafness."
