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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Entertainment
Jami Ganz

Taylor Swift slams Trump for 'stoking the fires of white supremacy' in tweets about George Floyd protests

Taylor Swift isn't mincing words about President Donald Trump.

The songstress slammed the commander in chief on Twitter Friday morning for inciting violence with one of his latest tweets, which he fired off after chaotic protests in Minneapolis overnight following the police killing of George Floyd on Monday.

"After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?" the 30-year-old wrote. "'When the looting starts the shooting starts'??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump."

Earlier Friday, Trump tweeted, "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!"

Twitter subsequently flagged the tweet, stated that it "violated the Twitter rules about glorifying violence."

"We've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts, but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance," the social media giant said in a tweet.

Since Twitter's designation, Trump began slamming Twitter _ via the platform, of course _ and retweeting claims that he was "targeted."

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed Monday when he was handcuffed and an officer held him on the ground, kneeling on his neck, even as the man pleaded that he couldn't breathe.

His death has incited horrified and irate responses across the country, with protests in Minneapolis and beyond.

On Thursday, buildings in the city's downtown area were torched, including a police precinct, prompting Trump to claim shortly before 1 a.m. Friday that he would "send in the National Guard & get the job done right" if Mayor Jacob Frey didn't "bring the City under control."

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