Donald Trump has garnered some immense backlash for his remarks that “this is a great day for” George Floyd because unemployment rates are down.
Although it is widely known that Trump’s foot stays stuck in his mouth, he still somehow manages to surprise us sometimes. On Friday (June 5th), as the country continued to protest the police killing of George Floyd along with all Black lives lost due to police brutality, Trump made some particularly insensitive and oblivious remarks about Floyd. Trump discussed the supposed “rocket ship” economy boost the U.S. experienced in recent weeks. “This shows that what we’ve been doing is right,” he said of the millions of the job gains the country had allegedly seen. “This is outstanding what’s happened today.”
He then clunkily shifted the focus to issues of racial inequality, noting that all persons, regardless of race, “must receive equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement.” It is then that he brings up George by name, somehow tying in the economy to his murder by police.
“Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country,” he said. “This is a great day for him, it’s a great day for everybody. This is a great day for everybody. This is a great, great day in terms of equality.” He then claims that this economic rebound is “the greatest thing that can happen for race relations.”
Utterly reprehensible to use George Floyd's memory to celebrate unemployment figures.
Globally, people are grieving his death, there's so much pain.
Trump has stoked the division and fuelled the hatred. He’s morally bankrupt.pic.twitter.com/osR33N38Um
— Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) June 5, 2020
His tone-deaf and unconscionable comments sparked plenty of outrage on social media.
Trump, far off script, talking about jobs numbers and equality and who knows what: “Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, this is a great thing happening in our country.” pic.twitter.com/ul6RG5wozK
— The Recount (@therecount) June 5, 2020
Imagine being so dense that you would suggest George Floyd was "looking down and saying this is a great thing that's happening for our country" while peaceful protesters are being beaten and gassed because he was murdered.
Yep, trump just said that.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) 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.
A truly stunning level of tone-deafness. https://t.co/h8051QrCVx
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) June 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1268919069761318917
The only thing looking down is your prospects of re-election in November. Keep talking and dishonouring Trump – "Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying there’s a great thing happening for our country." #LookingDown pic.twitter.com/P5uno20aLa
— Rick Haswell (@zackary71) June 5, 2020
“Hopefully George is looking down and seeing this is a great day for our country.”
Good freaking god.
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) June 5, 2020
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