BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors says their goal is to get Trump out of White House: 'He's not fit for office'
A Black Lives Matter co-founder has revealed that the organization is not only pushing for a "reinvestment into Black communities," but also to "get Trump out" of the White House. During an appearance on CNN’s 'The Lead', author, activist, and BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors was asked how Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden fared against President Donald J. Trump with regards to issues that were essential to the BLM movement.
"I’ve heard a lot of criticism of former Vice President Joe Biden from civil rights activists. The election, obviously, will be a choice. How do you think Biden matches up compared to President Trump when it comes to these issues that are important to you?" host Jake Tapper asked.
“Hands down Trump not only needs to not be in office in November but he should resign now,” Cullors replied. “Trump needs to be out of office. He is not fit for office."
“And so what we are going to push for is a move to get Trump out while we're also going to continue to push and pressure Vice President Joe Biden around his policies and relationship to policing and criminalization,” she continued. “That's going to be important.”
“But our goal is to get Trump out,” she stressed.
According to Cullors, the coast-to-coast protests over the death of George Floyd showed that the country is undergoing "a cultural shift."
“And it's not just hearts and attitudes changing,” she said. “We're also seeing entire police departments transforming. We're seeing city councils, county board supervisors, governors, the national government trying to have a much more difficult and promising conversation around re-imagining public safety. I think that's profound.”
This comes shortly after reports that Black Lives Matter protesters toppled the statue of Confederate Brigadier General Albert Pike at Judiciary Square in DC and set it on fire. An author, poet, and prominent member of the Freemasons, Pike was said to be a strong proponent of slavery. Around 80 to 100 people were gathered there around 11 pm on Friday, June 19, according to Fox News.
President Donald Trump tweeted about the incident saying, "The DC Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country! @MayorBowser."
The same day, protesters in Portland, Oregon toppled a statue of George Washington, the first president of the United States, and draped it in a burning American flag.
As reported by Breitbart, the historical monument was defaced and destroyed, with its base covered in phrases such as “Murder,” “Big Floyd,” “1619,” “F**k Cops,” “BLM,” “Land Back,” “White Fragility,” and “You’re on Native Land.”
And last Sunday, a statue of Thomas Jefferson, the United States’ third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, was defaced and taken down outside a Portland high school. Oregon Live obtained photos that showed the base of that monument spray-painted with the terms "slave owner" and "George Floyd."
Several historical monuments across the country have been targeted in the wake of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day.