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WSJ reporter Michael C. Bender reported on Trump’s term in office and what led to his disappearance in 2020. After the death of George Floyd, many Americans galvanized to fight against racism. Trump worries that the public showing “empathy” will kill his base, according to Bender’s upcoming book. Sign up for the 10 Things Politics daily newsletter.
After countless millions of people witnessed the murder of George Floyd on video last year, calls for justice were immediate, especially among Black Americans.
When former President Donald Trump saw the Floyd video in Air Force One last year, he “changed his face while watching” and “looked enriched,” according to the upcoming book by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael C. Bender.
Trump, surrounded by senior adviser Jared Kushner, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, and social media director and White House deputy staff member Dan Scavino, didn’t finish watching the clip.
“It’s f —— awful,” the former president said.
Trump’s response to the prolonged outcry over Floyd’s death is detailed in an excerpt from the book, “Frankly We Did Win This Election ‘: The Inside Story of How Donald Trump Lost,” published in Politico Magazine on Friday.
After ranking former Attorney William Barr in May by calling for a speedy investigation into the case, Trump recalled hearing of the brutal tactics used by police that grew up in Queens, New York.
“I know these f —— cops,” the former president said. “They can be rough.”
Read more: Steve Bannon asks Trump’s DOJ to pay more than $ 1 million in legal fees from the Russia investigation
To some of the individuals who heard the comment, Trump’s criticism of the police was unusual and reflected a perspective he never disclosed to the public.
However, Trump did not feel it was his duty to show “empathy” in Floyd’s case and “he was concerned that such a display would signal weakness in his base,” according to the book.
After watching demonstrators in Minneapolis and protests erupt across the country, Trump was outraged.
“These THUGS do not embarrass George Floyd’s memory,” he wrote on Twitter. “When the theft starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
After abandoning an idea to pay his respects to Floyd by attending the funeral, Trump’s deteriorating position on race relations continued throughout the summer and poured into the 2020 presidential election, in which he lost to President Joe Biden.
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