Atlanta Mayor Says She Was ‘Simply Disgusted’ At Donald Trump’s Invocation Of George Floyd

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appeared on CNN’s Inside Politics on Sunday and spoke about Donald Trump’s use of George Floyd’s name during a Rose Garden press conference on Friday, Breitbart reported.

Lance Bottoms said the clip left her “disgusted, simply disgusted.”

“This is a man who has been murdered on our streets. President Trump doesn’t know him, and in fact, by all accounts from George Floyd’s brother when President Trump called to offer condolences, he didn’t even give the family an opportunity to speak.”

Lance Bottoms was speaking of Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, who spoke of his dismay at the president’s condolence call. According to Lance Bottoms, Trump should have used the White House press conference to speak about George Floyd’s family and the pride he would have from the movement against racism and police brutality that is currently sweeping the United States. While Trump did cite George Floyd — and the importance of equality and improved law enforcement standards, per Mediaite — the president also touted American’s rebounding unemployment rate. The latter portion of the president’s remarks were widely reported upon, spurring The Washington Post to offer a correction.

Lance Bottoms acknowledged that she did not know George Floyd personally, but claims she has watched his family and friends to “get a glimpse” of his character.

“Again, it shows that this president is incapable of showing any type of empathy. He always gets it wrong, time and time again, and I think we’ve got to stop expecting any more from him,” Lance Bottoms remarked.

Lance Bottoms previously criticized Trump for his threat to use weapons and canine units on protesters during a conversation with CNN’s Jake Tapper. She suggested his comments were doing nothing but stoking the fires of the chaotic political climate and urged the president to remain silent.

In a piece for CNN, Maeve Reston argued that Trump’s decision to invoke Floyd’s name is a reflection of his disconnect from the United States’ pain. She called the statement “incomprehensible” and “stunning” given the fresh wound from Floyd’s death, which came after veteran Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Reston also noted that just hours after using Floyd’s name, Trump retweeted a post from conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who quoted fellow commentator Candace Owens’ attack on Floyd’s character.

According to Reston, Trump’s concern is not for those around him, but for how the crisis will impact him and his re-election campaign. Reston noted that the president’s recent focus has been taking aim at Washington adversaries such as Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is reportedly struggling to decide whether to back Trump in 2020.