Joe Biden Denounces Donald Trump’s Invocation Of George Floyd As ‘Despicable’
On Friday, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump for invoking George Floyd’s name during a press briefing, CNN reported.
Earlier in the day, speaking with reporters gathered in the Rose Garden of the White House, Trump touted the unexpectedly good job numbers from May and then invoked Floyd’s name.
“Hopefully George is looking down and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country. (It’s) a great day for him,” the president said.
Floyd, an African American, died in police custody on May 25, after a white officer with the Minneapolis Police Department pinned him to the ground and knelt on his neck. His death sparked unprecedented backlash and led to nationwide protests against police brutality, some of which have turned into violent riots.
According to Biden, Trump’s invocation of Floyd’s name was “despicable.”
“George Floyd’s last words — ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe’ — have echoed all across this nation, quite frankly, all around the world. For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd, I frankly think it’s despicable.”
Biden said that black and Hispanic unemployment numbers have actually risen, accusing Trump of being “completely oblivious to the tens of millions of people who are facing the greatest struggle of their lives.”
Noting he was “truly glad to see” the overall unemployment rate decrease, the Democrat criticized Trump for “patting himself on the back” as millions of Americans suffer.
As CNN noted, earlier this week, Trump was criticized for directing security forces to crack down on peaceful protesters in front of the White House. The demonstrators were dispersed with rubber bullets and tear gas so that the commander-in-chief could walk across the street and pose for photographs.
Biden concluded that Trump “just has no idea” what Americans are going through.
The former vice president made the remarks during a speech at Delaware State University, a public historically black university in Dover.
Biden’s comments come as most polls show him ahead of Trump.
The president is trailing the Democrat nationwide and in key battleground states, which has apparently alarmed his team. On Thursday, according to reports, Trump held an emergency meeting about the 2020 presidential election with his top political advisers.
White House adviser Jared Kushner, Trump 2020 campaign chief Brad Parscale, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadow, among others, reportedly participated in the discussion.
Trump and his allies allegedly analyzed Biden’s advantage in swing states, discussing what would be the best strategy for the November election. The president’s team reportedly concluded that defining Biden to voters will be key to winning the contest.
