Demonstrators across the United States took to the streets this summer to protest against racial injustice, in the wake of George Floyd's death in police custody. To quell these protests, police adopted aggressive methods, including beating up protesters as well as journalists, who were hit with rubber bullets, but Donald Trump thinks its funny.
During his rally in Pennsylvania, the president mocked journalists who were at the receiving end of the police aggression. He narrated watching the demonstrations develop as he bemoaned that the law enforcement was restricted from going in and breaking up the protests.
Trump was more gleeful when he spoke about how MSNBC's Ali Velshi was hit in the knee with a rubber bullet, though misidentified both, the reporter, as well as the object that hit him. "Remember that beautiful sight?" Trump said describing Minneapolis, adding that the street was a mess.
Referencing to a reporter from CNN as an "idiot," Trump spoke about him getting hit on the knee with a can of tear gas, adding that he went down screaming, "I’ve been hit. I’ve been hit." Noting that he didn't like it but he still went down, Trump mockingly shouted "Police brutality."
He then went on to talk about how the National Guard had been asked to clear out the demonstrations in Minneapolis, noting that the city was cured by the crackdown. Enacting the scene, Trump said when police grabbed a guy, he shouted he was a reporter, but the police still threw him aside like he was a little bag of popcorn, The Hill reported.
Noting that watching the protests that the city had to deal with for so long, Trump said although you don't like it, it is actually a beautiful sight, referencing to the police beating protesters and journalists. His comment about Velshi during a rally over the weekend was quite similar.
Taking to his Twitter account on Sept. 19, Velshi called out Trump for describing him getting hit by authorities in Minneapolis earlier this year with a rubber bullet, he clarified, it wasn't a tear gas canister, as a "beautiful thing” and calling it "law and order." He asked the president what law he broke while covering an entirely peaceful march.
Journalist Aaron Rupar retweeted the clip shared by Christopher Lennertz of Twitter, showing Trump making those remarks about the journalist getting mugged. He went on to ask how 40 percent of America heard the POTUS speak about how beautiful violence against a member of the press, or anyone is.
The composer and songwriter asked in his tweet how can Americans think his comment was honorable or even legal and concluded his message saying he gets sadder and sadder for his children every day. The summer was teeming with nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice after the death of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks.