Joe Biden ripped President Trump for name-dropping George Floyd during a live White House press statement, which was organized for him to talk about economic gains and to sign a law extending loans to small businesses.
“George Floyd’s last words, ‘I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe,’ have echoed all across this nation,” Biden said Friday. “For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd, I, frankly, think is despicable.”
During a Rose Garden press opportunity on Friday morning to celebrate surprisingly strong unemployment numbers and to give his assent to the Paycheck Protection Program expansion, Trump detoured to talk about the need for “fair treatment from law enforcement.”
“Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great thing that’s happening for our country.’ It’s a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody,” Trump said.
Democrats were quick to criticize Trump after saying he’s failed to display empathy toward protesters demonstrating against police brutality and racial injustice following Floyd’s death last week.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on May 25 after being pinned down under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, who has since been charged with second-degree murder. Trump delivered another White House address on Monday, telling his supporters he was the “law and order” president. He also encouraged state governors during a private call to “dominate” their streets after angry protests broke out around the country.
“.@realDonaldTrump, keep George Floyd’s name out of your mouth until you can say Black Lives Matter,” tweeted California Sen. Kamala Harris, a contender to be Biden’s vice presidential candidate.
.@realDonaldTrump, keep George Floyd’s name out of your mouth until you can say Black Lives Matter.pic.twitter.com/YJ6wPw0Hto
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 5, 2020
Biden’s comments on Friday, given at Delaware State University, a public, historically black university, were weaved into a broader takedown of Trump’s economic approach as the nation tries to rebuild amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s time for him to step out of his own bunker, take a look around at the consequences of his words and his actions,” he said.
The Labor Department on Friday reported that the economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May, lowering the unemployment rate to 13.3%, compared with an expected 20%.
