Biden: Trump 'calling for violence against American citizens'
By: Julia Manchester (TheHill)
President Joe to the rescue! Joe Biden is bringing a jerry can of gasoline to the bonfire. It's the same can Democrats have kicked down the road since Lyndon Johnson butt embossed the leather upholstery in the Oval Office.
We should all be furious. A man was murdered in the street by a self righteous, self appointed judge, jury, and executioner. Murdering people is just part of the job; it happens every day. George Floyd must have been a bad guy because cops are always good guys. As all the news organizations are reporting, George Floyd just died. Wave a flag, sing an anthem, and thank these public servants for their service.
And the focus of President Joe's fury is a Tweet. By God, almighty, we can't allow that Tweet to stand.
Kick the can, President Joe. Kick the can.
Former Vice President Joe Biden accused President Trump of calling for violence against Americans on Friday after he threatened to deploy the military and denounced "thugs" in Minneapolis amid protests over the police killing of George Floyd, with the president tweeting, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
"I will not lift the President's tweet. I will not give him that amplification. But he is calling for violence against American citizens during a moment of pain for so many. I'm furious, and you should be too," Biden tweeted on Friday.
I will not lift the President's tweet. I will not give him that amplification. But he is calling for violence against American citizens during a moment of pain for so many. I'm furious, and you should be too. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 29, 2020
Protests rocked Minneapolis for the third night in a row on Thursday over the death of Floyd, an African American man who died earlier this week after a police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. Floyd could be heard in the video recording of the incident saying "I can't breathe."
The officers involved have lost their jobs with the police department, but a growing number of political leaders and outside groups are calling for charges to be filed.
Demonstrators burned a police precinct to the ground on Thursday as thousands marched through Minneapolis calling for the officers involved in Floyd's death to be charged with murder.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) activated the Minnesota National Guard earlier on Thursday in response to the violent protests.
The president decried the unrest in a tweet Friday morning.
“I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right,” Trump said.
“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” Trump said in a second tweet
Twitter placed labels on Trump's second tweet, saying the post violated the platform's rules about glorifying violence.
“This Tweet violates our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line, its connection to violence, and the risk it could inspire similar actions today,” Twitter said on the label.
The White House's official Twitter account responded, tweeting directly at the platform's CEO, Jack Dorsey.
"The President did not glorify violence. He clearly condemned it," the White House said.
The President did not glorify violence. He clearly condemned it.@Jack and Twitter's biased, bad-faith "fact-checkers" have made it clear: Twitter is a publisher, not a platform. https://t.co/lTm3Pxxaqg — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 29, 2020
Defenders of the president argue the tweet was meant as a warning that looting could lead to more gun violence.
The violence is taking place on the streets of Minneapolis. But President Joe is laser focused on Twitter. Kick the can, President Joe.
"I will not lift the President's tweet. I will not give him that amplification. But he is calling for violence against American citizens during a moment of pain for so many."
If he (Joe), didn't lift the "Tweet", why did he "Lift" Trumps Tweet ?
I'll bet his "Nurses" told him it would be a good thing to do. They're such nice people.
How dumb can Trump supporters be?
It appears bottomless.
The phrase "when the looting starts the shooting starts" does not refer to looters shooting someone , as Trump is now weakly and meekly claiming, it refers to police and law enforcement shooting looters.
This explanation is only "controversial" to dummies.
I thought he was referring to the National Guard and that he would call them in to shut down the riots
yep.
there isnt any controversy about what the phrase means. it has a history.
trump just wants to bamboozle everyone and some people let him
Did it work back when first used?
Actually, look at it as a warning. If (big IF) it indeed means the NG will be shooting if necessary, then when the protesters see their presence, they may just shit themselves and go home.
People seem to forget. We are out of the era of candyassed actions as in the previous administration. I contend it was a warning shot of sorts. Knock it off or face the possibilities that you may be in a bad place.
Yeah I don't see it any different than when Johnson spoke about the looters when he sent the army and tanks to augment the national guard during the Detroit riots.
The way I read it was when at first you have looting and rioting, shooting by those same looters and rioters are sure to follow. He is actually correct. One person has been killed in Minneapolis and seven shot during rioting in Kentucky.
Of course, the media focused on THEIR reading of the tweet and ran with the "he wants to shoot people" narrative....and the lemmings once again fell for it.
You have a lack of understanding. There is nothing else to say. We actually know what the phrase means, and so does trump.
Try reading something.
Russia collusion...
The way I read it was when at first you have looting and rioting, shooting by those same looters and rioters are sure to follow. He is actually correct. One person has been killed in Minneapolis and seven shot during rioting in Kentucky.
Of course, the media focused on THEIR reading of the tweet and ran with the "he wants to shoot people" narrative....and the lemmings once again fell for it.
Defiantly not as dumb as those afflicted with TDS.
Who is making it controversial?
The new battle cry: Remember " Louisville ".
Trump was "Right" again ! Go figure.
I don't know. How dumb do you have to be to turn an explicit demand to get chaos under control into advocating violence?
Shooting looters is generally illegal in the United States, because deadly force is not used by law authority to protect property.
Period. It doesnt matter how much "chaos" you or trump think there is.
It IS used by property owners, though. That's where the shooting comes from. That's why you need law enforcement to stop the looters. But law enforcement isn't stopping it, which is why the president is thinking about bringing in the National Guard. Understand now?
Maybe you should turn on a television or read a paper so you can understand that chaos is actually happening.
Trump suggested that law authority, in this case the National Guard, can shoot looters.
They can't, not legally.
But you support the dumbass so it is what it is.
John essentially thinks like the CNN reporter last night that, with a burning building in his back drop, that the protests were mostly peaceful.
Thugs are never wrong, they are just misunderstooood.
No, he didn't, but your imagination and partisanship, both in overdrive, have allowed you to believe it because crazy news media told you to think that.
Why can’t they? Johnson allowed it to happen in Detroit.
“14 were shot by police officers; 9 were shot by National Guardsmen;“
What it means is that violence escalates. Violence provides its own justification for greater violence.
Since when did cops need an excuse to shoot people? The idiotic interpretation that Trump is calling for police shooting looters totally ignores what cops have been doing all along. Shooting people is just another day on the job for the 'brotherhood in blue'.
The claim that Trump is advocating shooting looters is as clueless as President Joe focusing fury on Tweets. If the point is to completely miss the point, then well done!
“police and law enforcement shooting looters.”
what is the problem with shooting looters?
As soon as I saw the words: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts" it was obvious to me that it would not be the looters who would be shooting, it would be the authorities shooting at the looters. I don't know how anyone could possibly interpret that in any other way than to twist it to meet their agenda.
What I do think should happen, but I know it won't, is that the CCP should pass a resolution supporting the Minneapolis rioters, and those joining in elsewhere, because after all, since America supported the Hong Kong rioters with government resolutions, it seems logical to me that China should return the favour.
Although I have no problem with peaceful demonstrations, when it comes to rioting and destruction of property and causing harm to people, I'm not in favour of such immature, primitive, uncivilized savagery. Humanity still has a long way to go.
I wish they would. The more we can separate from China and rebuild our manufacturing base the better off we will be.
Your best intentions just might not come to fruition. But good luck anyway.