Donald Trump is now claiming that he was not threatening any violence on the American people protesting against the murder of George Floyd by police when he sent out his recent tweet about looting. On Thursday (May 28th), the President of the United States took to Twitter to comment on the riots occurring in Minneapolis as a form of protest against police brutality and explain how he plans to take action.
"I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis," he tweeted. "A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right....."
His follow-up tweet, which has since been hidden by Twitter for violating their rules about “glorifying violence," has come under immense and justified scrutiny for what could only be perceived as threatening violence on the protestors. "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen," he wrote. "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!"
The message sparked outrage and instilled fear in the hearts of many Americans. However, Trump has since elaborated on the tweet, specifically his use of the horrifying phrase, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," by explaining that he supposedly meant the protestors will inevitable open fire on each other once they start looting.
"Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot," he tweeted on Friday (May 29th). "I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means...." He followed this up in another tweet, writing, "....It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It’s very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!"