President Donald Trump called governors “weak” during a call on Monday, urging a tougher crackdown on anti-racist protests, it is claimed.
“Most of you are weak,” Trump told governors on a video call that also included law enforcement and national security officials, according to the Associated Press. “You have to arrest people.”
And, according to CBS, he added: “You have to dominate. If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time. They’re going to run over you. You’re going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate.”
Trump’s remarks came after days of protests prompted by the killing of George Floyd, who was pinned to the ground by Minneapolis police for nearly nine minutes; for much of that time, he was unresponsive. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who along with three others was fired over the incident, was arrested on Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
While many demonstrators peacefully gathered, at points the protests turned violent, with some who attended the protests vandalising and stealing from businesses. Many states activated the National Guard to help with law enforcement, and many police responded to protesters with authoritarian tactics.