Trump tweeted today about the “THUGS” who were looting in the Minneapolis riots over the police custodial death of George Floyd. He used language that was evocative of the 60s and 70s “Law and Order” demagogues such as George Wallace. ” … when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” for instance.
Watching a live picture of a Minneapolis police precinct burn down overnight wasn’t at all pleasant, especially the former firefighter in me. But was Trump not the right wing bastard he is, one would have to ask: Who are really the thugs there in Minnesota?
Was it the three Minneapolis cops who held Floyd down while white former officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to the neck of Floyd to restrain him? Floyd would die after this police action. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Officials say charges are being explored with the three other officers.
Then again, were the state troopers who came to restore order among the crowd where the chaos run rampant with the flaming precinct house and a liquor store burned the thugs when they inexplicably arrested CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and his crew?
Jimenez, a black Latino, was arrested after politely asking state police where they should be standing and that they would do so. But during this Friday arrest around 5 a.m. local time Jimenez and his crew were handcuffed and taken into custody.
A short time ago Jimenez told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he had asked the state police officer why he was being arrested. He was told that “I don’t know man. I’m just doing his job.” Another nearby reporter, CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI supervisory special agent Josh Cambpell, who is white, was not accosted.
Finally, one is wondering whether Trump is talking about himself. Or at least is speaking as to how he wish he could be. I’m sure Trump probably thinks himself a thug. He probably doesn’t feel the word “thug” befits him even though it probably is a goal he’d like to be a real thug. I think Trump is too big a chickenshit that he could reach thugdom. That is unless he could unleash a big bomb upon his opponents.
There are simply too many thugs to go around here. Too bad they couldn’t all meet in the middle and … have tea or something. Yeah. Right.
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