Donald Trump has blamed the scenes of police brutality recorded at George Floyd protests across the US on “bad apples”, claiming to have “dominated the streets with compassion” to maintain law and order and pledging an executive order to establish a use-of-force standard, stopping short of broader reforms.
Speaking at a roundtable event in Dallas, Texas, the president sought to allay ongoing frustrations by commenting: “We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice wherever they appear, but we will make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labelling tens of millions of decent Americans as racist or bigots.”
The president’s campaign team has meanwhile added a legal disclaimer to the registration page on its website for Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next week, warning attendees that it is their own responsibility if they contract Covid-19 as part of the 19,000-strong crowd.
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Trump campaign selling 'Baby Lives Matter' onesie on website
Check out this new offering from the president's 2020 merchandise website, yours for $18.
The cynicism and contempt the gesture betrays is utterly breathtaking.
Check out this new offering from the president's 2020 merchandise website, yours for $18.
The cynicism and contempt the gesture betrays is utterly breathtaking.
'Trump may be down in the polls - but he is certainly not out'
For Indy Premium, here's Mary Dejevsky with a warning not to rule out a Trump comeback before November, despite his currently rotten poll numbers, because five months is a century in contemporary politics.
For Indy Premium, here's Mary Dejevsky with a warning not to rule out a Trump comeback before November, despite his currently rotten poll numbers, because five months is a century in contemporary politics.
'Inside DC, it's become obvious Trump is sabotaging his own re-election campaign'
For Indy Voices, John T Bennett reflects on a week of disastrous choices and sinking popularity for the president.
For Indy Voices, John T Bennett reflects on a week of disastrous choices and sinking popularity for the president.
Laura Ingraham raves about 'macchiato Marxists' as statues debate reaches fever pitch
Fox News has descended even further into hysterical self-parody in recent weeks and the latest installment of The Ingraham Angle was no exception.
Fox News has descended even further into hysterical self-parody in recent weeks and the latest installment of The Ingraham Angle was no exception.
Trump brands AOC 'Crazy!' over call to defund the police and slams Joe Biden
The president has been bashing out retweets again this morning on everything from the Seattle automous zone to Columbus statue topplings, promoting messages from conservative allies likes of Dan Bongino, Buck Sexton, Richard Grenell and Brad Parscale.
The president has been bashing out retweets again this morning on everything from the Seattle automous zone to Columbus statue topplings, promoting messages from conservative allies likes of Dan Bongino, Buck Sexton, Richard Grenell and Brad Parscale.
His only original comments so far have been these:
Federal arrests show no links to 'Antifa' at protests despite Trump administration's claims
It seems that the president and attorney general William Barr may not have been entirely honest in their persistent allegations that the George Floyd protests were co-ordinated by left-wing activists, specifically Antifa, a group the US government has moved quickly to label a domestic terror organisation.
Alex Woodward has more on this.
It seems that the president and attorney general William Barr may not have been entirely honest in their persistent allegations that the George Floyd protests were co-ordinated by left-wing activists, specifically Antifa, a group the US government has moved quickly to label a domestic terror organisation.
Alex Woodward has more on this.
Martin Gugino: Protester knocked down by police and smeared by Trump has brain injury
Andrew Naughtie has the latest update on the 75-year-old hurt by police in Buffalo, New York, and subsequently made the subject of an OANN-inspired conspiracy theory promoted by the president.
Andrew Naughtie has the latest update on the 75-year-old hurt by police in Buffalo, New York, and subsequently made the subject of an OANN-inspired conspiracy theory promoted by the president.
US needs 'more money' to respond to coronavirus, Pelosi warns as she attacks Mitch McConnell for 'taking a pause'
In addition to weighing in on the statue front, he House speaker has been pushing the Senate majority leader to resume talks over a further economic stimulus bill to counteract the havoc wrought by Covid-19.
John T Bennett has this report.
In addition to weighing in on the statue front, he House speaker has been pushing the Senate majority leader to resume talks over a further economic stimulus bill to counteract the havoc wrought by Covid-19.
John T Bennett has this report.
Dow Jones plunges more than 1,800 points as rising Covid-19 cases rattle Wall Street
Here's Oliver O'Connell on the markets, which don't seem as convinced the coronavirus is all over and done with as certain conservative politicians we could name.
Here's Oliver O'Connell on the markets, which don't seem as convinced the coronavirus is all over and done with as certain conservative politicians we could name.
Republicans choose new venue for national convention after North Carolina governor refuses to play ball on reopening
Jacksonville, Florida, has been selected to host the celebration marking Trump's acceptance of his party's nomination for re-election, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman said on Thursday.
Ronna McDaniel made the announcement a day after saying that Jacksonville was a front-runner to hold the event. The Democratic governor of North Carolina, the official host of this summer's Republican National Convention, had balked at promising Trump a full-blown convention in Charlotte free from social distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic.
McDaniel said the event would be held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, which holds 15,000 people. She said more details would be released in the coming weeks.
The party's more mundane business, including discussions over the platform, will still be held in Charlotte because of contractual obligations.
The RNC had spent the last week scouting locations after North Carolina governor Roy Cooper rejected Trump's demand that the convention be allowed to take place between 24 and 27 August without social distancing measures.
Trump says bigotry can be confronted 'quickly and easily' just hours after using racial slur against Elizabeth Warren
The president's unconvincing remarks about ending racial prejudice yesterday followed hot on the heels of his attacking Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate by calling her "Pochahontas" - a favourite conservative jibe against her claim to Native American heritage - after she added an amendment on renaming army bases to a military funding bill.
Here's Greg Evans for Indy100.
The president's unconvincing remarks about ending racial prejudice yesterday followed hot on the heels of his attacking Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate by calling her "Pochahontas" - a favourite conservative jibe against her claim to Native American heritage - after she added an amendment on renaming army bases to a military funding bill.
Here's Greg Evans for Indy100.
Trump campaign says you can't sue if you get Covid-19 at his rally
Those registering for the president’s already highly controversial rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next week are being presented with a legal disclaimer on the campaign website when they put their names down, warning them in advance that they could catch coronavirus because of the lack of social distancing that will be in effect among the 19,000 strong crowd... but it’s not Trump’s fault.
That is at least an acknowledgement of the 2m+ cases the US has contracted at a time when outbreaks are growing in 21 states and more than a dozen are seeing record surges.
Not that that is stopping Trump’s return to rallies on 19 June, a day recognised as the end of slavery in the US, in a city associated with a violent race riot in May 1921 that claimed an estimated 300 African American lives.
Here's more from Andrew Naughtie.
Here's more from Andrew Naughtie.
Pelosi calls for 11 Confederate statues to be removed from DC
Multiple statues of Confederate leaders have already been taken down in various states across the US, after protesters graffitied some with the words “Black Lives Matter” following the death of George Floyd.
Multiple statues of Confederate leaders have already been taken down in various states across the US, after protesters graffitied some with the words “Black Lives Matter” following the death of George Floyd.
In a letter to leadership of the Joint Committee on the Library, House speaker Nancy Pelosi asked for the 11 monuments erected in the Capitol, following the Confederacy’s defeat, to be taken down, as they “pay homage to hate, not heritage.”
“Let us lead by example. To this end, I request the Joint Committee on the Library direct the Architect of the Capitol to immediately take steps to remove these 11 statues from display in the United States Capitol," she said. “They must be removed.”
Republicans with southern constituencies to represent are unlikely to back her appeal and are already complaining about the idea of them being replaced by “obelisks of wokeness”.
Here’s James Crump’s report.
Inside Seattle's CHAZ: Vegan paradise and Trump's 'ugly anarchist' hell
Andrew Buncombe has this eyewitness report from the occupied zone, from which a very different picture emerges than that painted by the president.
A political statement that "feels like a block party", the CHAZ is currently home to the likes of 23-year-old metal worker Silas Korvjund-Zacharov, who comments: "Anarchy means chaos, are we creating chaos here or are we creating more of a sense of unity?
“Unfortunately, Donald Trump is one of the biggest morons I’ve ever heard of. He does not know the proper definitions of most things he says. Anarchy is chaos. What we are here trying to do is promote equality and unity in the community.”
Trump reiterates threat to 'take back' Seattle from demonstrators
The president has meanwhile reiterated his threat to “take back” the streets of Seattle as the city faces ongoing unrest, despite mayor Jenny Durkan warning him that sending in the military would be “unconstitutional and illegal”.
"There is no imminent threat of an invasion of Seattle," said the first-term Democrat.
Approximately 500 protestors pushed the Seattle police department out of the city’s East Precinct yesterday having taken charge of the area and erected barricades as part of the nationwide action against police brutality, prompting Trump to escalate his Twitter rhetoric against Washington governor Jay inslee and Mayor Durkan, appearing to threaten the use of federal force against the activists.
His comments received swift backlash from local officials, who said the police were removed from the Capitol Hill area - now nicknamed the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”, or CHAZ - as part of an effort to decrease tensions and conflict between demonstrators and police officers.
Activists have occupied the area since Monday whe n police moved street barricades and abandoned their East Precinct station in a move city officials say aimed to reduce tension.
In a YouTube video Seattle's police chief, Carmen Best, said it was not her decision to leave the precinct.
Activists have occupied the area since Monday whe n police moved street barricades and abandoned their East Precinct station in a move city officials say aimed to reduce tension.
In a YouTube video Seattle's police chief, Carmen Best, said it was not her decision to leave the precinct.
"You fought for days to protect it, I asked you stand on that line day in and day out to be pelted with projectiles, to be screamed at, threatened and in some cases hurt," Best told her department.
"We're not going to let this happen in Seattle. If we have to go in, we're going to go in," Trump told Fox News on Thursday. "Let the governor do it. He's got great National Guard troops... But one way or the other, it's going to get done. These people are not going to occupy a major portion of a great city."
"We're not going to let this happen in Seattle. If we have to go in, we're going to go in," Trump told Fox News on Thursday. "Let the governor do it. He's got great National Guard troops... But one way or the other, it's going to get done. These people are not going to occupy a major portion of a great city."
On Sunday, a man drove his car into a crowd of protesters in the area that became the "autonomous zone" the following day. He then shot and wounded a demonstrator who confronted him as he came to a stop, according to police and eyewitness video. The man who was shot was in stable condition at a hospital while the driver was arrested.
"What we have been given here is a unique opportunity to see how a police-free zone can be facilitated," protester David Lewis told Reuters yesterday, standing in front of the abandoned East Precinct.
"Making this a community or education center would be a momentous and very powerful movement that the city can commit to the lack of police brutality and also an acknowledgement of the debts of the past."
Police officers returned to the East Precinct building on Thursday to inspect it for damage but it remains unstaffed.
Best said the neighborhood could not remain occupied but neither she nor Durkan would say how the city planned to dismantle the camp.
Here’s Chris Riotta’s report.
Trump offers bizarre explanation of why some buildings cost more than others
There was also this supremely garbled analogy, attempting to draw a comparison between healthcare reform and construction:
"But it's one of those many cases where it's actually less costly and better.
"Sometimes you'll see a building it costs less money than another building that costs more because the one that built the one that costs more, this one looks better, the one that's cheaper, it looks better.
"They say, 'how much more did you spend for that building?' Actually we spent less. You can do that, it's called: You have to know what you're doing. If you know what you're doing."
No, me neither.
"Sometimes you'll see a building it costs less money than another building that costs more because the one that built the one that costs more, this one looks better, the one that's cheaper, it looks better.
"They say, 'how much more did you spend for that building?' Actually we spent less. You can do that, it's called: You have to know what you're doing. If you know what you're doing."
No, me neither.
Here's Justin Vallejo to have a go.
President’s fans cheer as he describes coronavirus as ‘plague from China'
Among the other "highlights" of Trump's roundtable yesterday was his boasting about the federal response to Hurricane Harvey (surely still a sore subject for locals who lost loved ones) and getting a laugh when he again blamed the spread of Covid-19 on Beijing - more scapegoating to distance himself from a crisis that has led to over 115,000 American deaths on his watch, with many blaming government inaction.
Here's Justin Vallejo's report.
Among the other "highlights" of Trump's roundtable yesterday was his boasting about the federal response to Hurricane Harvey (surely still a sore subject for locals who lost loved ones) and getting a laugh when he again blamed the spread of Covid-19 on Beijing - more scapegoating to distance himself from a crisis that has led to over 115,000 American deaths on his watch, with many blaming government inaction.
Here's Justin Vallejo's report.
Trump says police 'dominated the streets with compassion' in George Floyd protests and pledges use-of-force standard instead of major reforms
Donald Trump has blamed the scenes of police brutality recorded at George Floyd protests across the US in recent weeks on “bad apples”, claiming to have “dominated the streets with compassion” to maintain law and order and pledging an executive order to establish a use-of-force standard, stopping short of the broader root-and-branch reforms many would like to see to tackle institutional discrimination.
Speaking at a roundtable event in Dallas, Texas, the president sought to allay ongoing frustrations by commenting: “We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice wherever they appear, but we will make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labelling tens of millions of decent Americans as racist or bigots.”
His decision to praise the National Guard for dispersing protesters "like a knife cutting butter" found him on less conciliatory form and the grieving family of protesters killed or injured - like 22-year-old Sarah Grossman in Columbus, Ohio, or 75-year-old Martin Gugino in Buffalo, New York, respectively - are likely to have a rather different opinion on precisely how compassionate law enforcement were.
Here’s John T Bennett’s report.
Hello and welcome to The Independent's rolling coverage of the Donald Trump administration and its response to the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd protests.
