01 September 2020
Asked during his visit to Kenosha Tuesday whether "systemic racism is a problem" in the U.S., President Trump told a reporter: "Well you know, you just keep getting back to the opposite subject. We should talk about the kind of violence that we’ve seen in Portland and here and other places."
The big picture: Trump used his trip to Kenosha, where violent protests had erupted in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, to stress his support for law enforcement and denunciation of riots by people he called "domestic terrorists."
- He acknowledged that there are "bad apples" within law enforcement, and said that some police officers "choke sometimes" because they are under "tremendous pressure."
- The president did not address the root causes of the anti-racism protests that have continued throughout the country over the past few months, suggesting that some people want "structural change" but that most people want "law and order" and to feel safe.
What he's saying: "We should talk about the kind of violence that we've seen in Portland and here and other places. It's tremendous violence. You always get to the other side, well what do you think about this or that? The fact is we have seen tremendous violence and we will put it out very quickly given the chance."
- "I keep hearing about peaceful protests, I hear it about everything. And then I come into an area like this and I see the town is burned down."
- "It's a tough job. It's a tough job, a dangerous job, but I have to say this to the police: the people of our country love you."
In photos
President Trump tours an area affected by civil unrest in Kenosha. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump, with Attorney General William Barr, speaks to the press in Kenosha. Photo: Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump speaks with officials at Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Protesters demonstrate in Kenosha during President Trump's visit. Photo: Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.