Melania Trump slammed for seeing 'no reason for violence' in protests in wake of George Floyd's death
Melania Trump was slammed by social media users after she expressed her condolences to the family of George Floyd - an African-American man who died after a Minneapolis police officer used his knee to sit on his neck for eight minutes on May 25 - and urged the people of the United States to focus on “peace, prayers & healing” instead of riots and violent protests.
On May 29, the first lady tweeted: "Our country allows for peaceful protests, but there is no reason for violence. I’ve seen our citizens unify & take care of one another through COVID19 & we can’t stop now. My deepest condolences to the family of George Floyd. As a nation, let's focus on peace, prayers & healing."
Melania's tweet did little to pacify the outraged people who stormed the comment section of her post to criticize her and her husband's response to the ongoing atmosphere of unrest in the country. "How about focus on ending systemic racism and electing a president who gives a damn unlike your husband," one wrote, while another said, "When @Kaepernick7 peacefully protested to bring attention to the social & racial injustices happening in the country he was *born into*, your husband demeaned him & you stayed quiet. So remain quiet. In fact, you & #BeBest can take all the seats in your tennis pavilion."
Even the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson responded to the mother-of-one's tweet. "George Floyd was a man of faith, a man of color, & a father to the young men in his community & church. My heart breaks for his family & for our country being torn apart by violence. Honor the legacy of Floyd by protesting in peace. There will be justice for him & his family," a third wrote.
However, not everyone had negative things to say about Melania's post. Rep Vernon Jones (D-GA) wrote, "I refuse to allow a bunch of ANTIFA affiliated thugs to come to my beloved city of Atlanta and burn it to the ground, under the guise of #BlackLivesMatter"
Radio host Mark Levin said: "To the best of my knowledge, as I write this, Joe Biden has not condemned the violence and arson and looting the nation is witnessing. This appears to be some kind of perverse political calculation. Shameful. They don’t give a damn about black lives. They only care about DESTRUCTION."
After Melania's tweet, President Donald Trump offered lengthy remarks on Floyd on Saturday during his visit to Cape Canaveral, Florida, where SpaceX launched two NASA astronauts into orbit. "The death of George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened. It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger, and grief. We will stand with the family of George Floyd, with the peaceful protesters, and with every law-abiding citizen who wants decency, civility, safety, and security. Yesterday, I spoke to George's family and expressed the sorrow of our entire nation for their loss," Trump said. "I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace, and I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, and menace. Healing not hatred, justice not chaos are the mission at hand."
He added: "I understand the pain that people are feeling. We support the right of peaceful protests and we hear their pleas, but what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with the memory of George Floyd. The violence and vandalism is being led by Antifa and other radical left-wing groups who are terrorizing the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses and burning down buildings. The main victims of this horrible, horrible situation are the citizens who live in these once-lovely communities... The mobs are devastating the life's work of good people and destroying their dreams. We support the overwhelming majority of police officers who are incredible in every way and devoted to public service."