As unrest continues across cities like Portland, Oregon and Kenosha, Wisconsin, President Donald Trump is continuing his years-long push to paint himself as the candidate of so-called law and order.
After another deadly weekend of violence between Trump supporters and protesters of police brutality, Trump tweeted the words "LAW & ORDER!"
Without context, it may seem like Trump is just a fan of the Dick Wolf television franchise.
LAW & ORDER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2020
The President says the current unrest is what the United States would look like under "Joe Biden's America," but doesn't acknowledge that the violence he decries is happening during the fourth year of his own presidency.
Though Trump claims to be the law and order candidate, advocacy group Public Citizen fact checked the claim with a brief but effective rebuttal.
In Trump's first year in office, DOJ penalties against corporate offenders dropped by 90%. At the EPA, they plunged by 94%. https://t.co/tN3duSR3PE
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) August 31, 2020
The group reminded its followers that penalties for crimes committed by corporate entities or against the environment both fell by nearly 100 percent.
Public Citizen linked to one of its articles which said:
"As the federal government's chief law enforcement agency, the DOJ is especially powerful when it comes to setting enforcement policy. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' 'zero tolerance' approach to immigration and street crimes has been widely reported. What has garnered less scrutiny is the DOJ's maximum permissiveness policy toward corporate offenders."
According to Public Citizen, the Trump administration has "allowed corporations that engage in illegal bribery abroad to completely avoid prosecution," "limited the DOJ's power to bring charges against corporations that defraud the government," and reduced corporate penalties across the board.
People noticed a pattern.
It's cool if it's white collar crime. But if your broke, they are coming for you.
— Benjamin Madrid (@CoachBMadrid) August 31, 2020
LAW & ORDER means that those in power get to selectively enforce the laws, mostly enforcing laws against the powerless. It is important to remember that Law and Order has nothing to do with the Rule of Law, which the GOP rejects.
— Morris Hindle (@DMHindle) August 31, 2020
Theft and looting are allowed as long as they're done by the rich.
— ⏳☦#WarIsARacket☦⏳ (@For2000years) August 31, 2020
Law n order for Black people, and a crime spree for white Republicans. #HowRussian. https://t.co/kwQ3pzDznb
— Spirit of 2020 (@damspahn) August 31, 2020
The statistic, for many, revealed the attitudes driving Trump's administration.
Yet his sheep think he cares about them. He's a freaking Wolf. https://t.co/WJ4cj3b6Kt
— Sean Boland ⭐️ (@SeanyBoland) August 31, 2020
Not the least surprised - this is what he was put in office to do, give breaks to his wealthy friends and let them run amok around the world #DumpTrump #EPA #DOJ #TrumpLies #TrumpCheats #TrumpCrimeFamily #taxtherich #savetheplanet #ClimateAction https://t.co/lbYpCljMlg
— James Genova (@jgenova2000) August 31, 2020
Law & order with the exception of friends & family. https://t.co/hEyAFpaFMZ
— Roberta Baskin (@baskinr) August 31, 2020
Lawless. Trump DOJ is a criminal infiltration & takeover of our justice system! https://t.co/HroLuFZAsn
— V for Vendetta (@veeroom) August 31, 2020
I really don't understand how people who value law and order support Trump?! How can they not get it? Trump thinks (and acts as if) he is above the law! https://t.co/eE1H0MQCMi
— Edie S (@geezergirlpdx) August 31, 2020
In a speech on Friday, Biden fired back at Trump's claims that law and order wouldn't materialize in Joe Biden's America:
"He may believe mouthing the words 'law and order' makes him strong. But his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is. Does anyone believe there'll be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected?"
@priscillachan/Instagram