Friday on CBS’s This Morning, Minnesota Atty. Gen. Keith Ellison said President Trump calling Minneapolis rioters “thugs” demonstrates “the same sort of attitude that resulted” in the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Trump had tweeted that “THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd,” adding that he had told Gov. Tim Walz “that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
“Calling people thugs and calling on people to get shot… stems from the same sort of attitude that resulted in the death of George Floyd,” Ellison complained. “The tough guy, macho man, ‘I’m going to make you do what I want you to do’ attitude is the heart of the problem. And we need the president and everybody else who thinks that you can get to a better place through threats of violence to stop it. I think violence begets violence. And Trump’s angry words just feed an ugly cycle that is going on in my beloved city which I’m so proud of.”
If Ellison wants to stem the violence, as attorney general he should clamp down on the thugs looting and burning his beloved city.