The US President is facing growing criticism over his quote “lack of leadership” in dealing with the biggest civil rights unrest since the 1960s. For the past several days, Americans have poured into the streets of cities across the country to protest the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man. He was killed last week after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The ensuing violence, looting and destruction of property prompted US President Trump to threaten invoking the Insurrection Act and putting military troops on the streets – a statement that was widely condemned as executive overreach. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the state’s attorney general announced charges against all four fired officers involved in Floyd’s death. The one who knelled on his neck received a new, more serious charge – second degree murder.
To discuss all of this:
- Noah Streng is the vice president of the Young Democratic Socialists of America and has been participating in the protests.
- Cheryl Dorsey is a retired sergeant from the city’s police and author.
- Jason Nichols is a lecturer at the African American Studies Department, for the University of Maryland.
- Eric Bolling is a political commentator and host of America This Week.
For more:
Police officers take a knee as hearse carrying George Floyd arrives at the memorial service in Minneapolis. #GeorgeFloydMemorial #GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/G9mzUiQOzs
— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) June 4, 2020
In contrast: U.S. historian Michael Beschloss noted how former U.S. President Roosevelt decided not to put up a perimeter around the #WhiteHouse after the #PearlHarborAttack,
v.s.
Trump's White House following a few days of mostly peaceful #DCprotests.@BeschlossDC pic.twitter.com/JZXuOfhItM— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) June 4, 2020