Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms urged President Trump to stop commenting on the protests and riots across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody after a white officer kneeled on his neck.
“He should just stop talking. This is like Charlottesville all over again. He speaks, and he makes it worse. There are times when you should just be quiet. And I wish that he would just be quiet. Or if he can’t be silent, if there is somebody of good sense and good conscience in the White House, put him in front of a teleprompter and pray that he reads it and at least says the right things because he is making it worse,” Bottoms told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
After the clashes in 2017 between white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides,” drawing bipartisan backlash.
Thousands of people across dozens of cities in the United States have protested Floyd’s death over the past few days. Some of the demonstrations have turned into violent clashes with police, leading mayors to issue curfews and deploy the National Guard.
Trump has criticized Democratic leaders for not quelling riots in their cities. After protests took place outside the White House over the weekend, the president warned that “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons” could be used against those who threatened his safety.
On Friday, Bottoms pleaded with protesters to stay home after buildings and businesses in Atlanta were looted and vandalized.
