Protestors took to the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota for multiple nights this week in response to the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on top of Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and face down on the ground.
When officers responded to the peaceful protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets, the uprisings turned violent—leaving the third precinct headquarters in flames and multibillion dollar corporations like a nearby Target looted.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, President Donald Trump's Twitter response only made things worse.
Trump seemed more outraged at the destruction of replaceable property than at the state sanctioned murder that provoked it.
I can't stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
Calling the protestors "thugs," Trump concluded the tweet with:
"Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!"
The phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" was popularized by racist Miami police chief Walter Headley in 1968 and perpetuated by notable racists like pro-segregation Alabama Governor George Wallace.
Many understood the tweet to be condoning the shooting of Americans by the National Guard, and Twitter responded by citing the tweet for "glorifying violence."
That's when Trump attempted to walk things back.
Looting leads to shooting, and that's why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot. I don't want this to happen, and that's what the expression put out last night means....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
....It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It's very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
Trump posted the tweets as reporters waited in the Rose Garden for what they were told would be a press conference. When Trump finally appeared, he announced the dissolution of the relationship between the United States and Hong Kong and the withdrawal of all funding from the World Health Organization.
He didn't take any questions and didn't address the unrest in Minnesota or his comments on it.
People weren't buying Trump's explanation.
You are a disgrace. https://t.co/FRbBV7l5Mz
— Fred Sternburg (@TooFred) May 29, 2020
In Glenngarry Glen Ross, Moss clarifies to Aaronow that he's not "talking" about robbing the office, he's "speaking" about it. https://t.co/g1W8BNI5mm
— James Urbaniak (@JamesUrbaniak) May 29, 2020
Take his name out of your mouth, you disgusting, racist excuse of a man. You know NOTHING of honor, so don't you dare talk about how Americans should grieve for yet another black man murdered on your watch. https://t.co/cOetoSJVst
— Jonathan D. Lovitz (@jdlovitz) May 29, 2020
When you take the text out of context, all you have left is a con. And this tweet here is a con.
In context, what he did was threaten to send in the National Guard, and then add his “shooting" phrase.
So, no, it wasn't about preventing violence. It was his threat to *use* it. https://t.co/Iv4A2lG7Cn
— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) May 29, 2020
You encouraged cops to be tougher on the people they arrest.
You pardoned a soldier who committed heinous war crimes when his unit said he was a murderer.
You & Trump family have been racists for decades back to when your company was fined for REFUSING to rent to black people. https://t.co/TveG8BgB3m
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) May 29, 2020
His false reverence for Floyd's memory didn't make him any friends.
He's doubling down.
He's doubling down on the racism.
Of course, I would expect nothing less. https://t.co/OCrSmANnHd
— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) May 29, 2020
The phrase "Looting leads to shooting" was first uttered as a threat by law enforcement (Miami police chief) against perpetrators. It was later picked up by George Wallace as a statement of his law-and-order campaign. https://t.co/34xghvX3oa
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) May 29, 2020
Fascist calls to murder followed up by predictable, transparent lies. No one is buying this. https://t.co/DQwnGwbp7r
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) May 29, 2020
The world knows what you meant, Donald.
J. Crew
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