This week, President Donald Trump has mostly occupied himself with hiding out in the White House and rage-tweeting. Days of protests against police brutality have unfolded across the United States following the murder of a black man named George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Trump has responded to the protests by advocating for more brutality to be used against demonstrators all around the country. He’s even threatened to send the military into the streets of the U.S. In stark contrast, this Friday, former President Barack Obama spoke out on Twitter to advocate for awareness of rampant gun violence in the U.S. and its disproportionate effects on black Americans.
At least a dozen prominent former military leaders have criticized President Trump's response to George Floyd protests https://t.co/7DR7rz3koP pic.twitter.com/toucFsACoH
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 5, 2020
The former president shared on Twitter:
‘On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, we #WearOrange to honor the victims and survivors of gun violence––which continues to disproportionately harm Black communities. Then keep speaking up, voting, and changing laws across the country.’
On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, we #WearOrange to honor the victims and survivors of gun violence––which continues to disproportionately harm Black communities. Then keep speaking up, voting, and changing laws across the country.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 5, 2020
Trump has largely ignored the substance of the recent mass protests, whose participants have been calling on authorities to secure the safety of black communities around the United States. Trump has spent his years in office ignoring issues that threaten that safety, including rampant police brutality and the widespread proliferation of guns around the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 6,872 gun violence deaths in the United States since January 1 from causes other than suicide. Not only has Trump failed to propose any kind of policy change to address police brutality, but he’s also failed to propose some way to stem that carnage.
As @JoeBiden says, Trump hasn’t met with a single protester.
He promotes the falsehood they’re “terrorists” or “thugs."
He wouldn’t engage people gathered near St. John’s Church, but tear gassed them for a photo op.
That’s not leadership.
Just ignorance and cowardice.
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) June 5, 2020
His failures are showing up in his poll numbers. Currently, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is leading in polls against Trump with a bigger margin than any eventual Democratic nominee at this point in a presidential race since before 2008.
National RCP Poll Average (On June 5):
2020:
Biden 49.3 (+7.1)
Trump 42.22016:
Clinton 43.8 (+1.5)
Trump 42.32012:
Obama 47.5 (+2.8)
Romney 44.72008:
Obama 46.7 (+1.2)
McCain 45.5— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) June 5, 2020
Check out Twitter’s response to Obama below:
