President Trump downplayed the torrent of criticism that came from his tweet that Twitter said broke its rules by “glorifying violence.”
Trump addressed the message, which was posted early Friday as riots raged in Minneapolis and other cities over the alleged murder of George Floyd. During the violence, Trump tweeted, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” a phrase used by former Police Chief Walter Headley, a man accused of fanning racial tensions in Miami during the 1960s. Trump attempted to explain the message Friday afternoon.
“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,” Trump said on Twitter. “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!”
….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
After the initial tweet about the looting, Twitter quickly moved to issue a warning label about the statement.
Derek Chauvin, the officer accused of killing Floyd, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday. Protests broke out after video emerged of Chauvin digging his knee into Floyd’s neck. Floyd could be heard begging for his life as he slowly suffocated under the weight of Chauvin’s knee.
