Piers Morgan asks Trump to take the knee at Oval Office on live TV: 'It will probably get you re-elected'
The act of kneeling as a means to protest has become synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement across the country. Now, in an open letter published in the Daily Mail, Birtish journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan has challenged US President Donald Trump to show his solidarity with protesters by "taking the knee" in full view of the public.
Morgan began his letter talking about a protest in Griffith, Indiana, which was unique because local law enforcement also joined the masses. Police Chief Greg Mance stood out at the event after marching alongside the demonstrators and giving an impassioned speech.
“We, as officers, aren’t perfect. We come from a flawed society, raised by flawed parents and sent through flawed educational systems. We raise our families in flawed communities, and we work in a flawed judicial system,” he said at the event. “We, as officers, must listen to what the softest voices of our community are trying to tell us before those voices are yells of frustration.”
"Sadly, the need for healing and growth follows injustice brought by a great many systems, including the criminal justice system — a system, despite its sins and flaws, that I am very proud to be part of," he added. "While I am proud, I am also disgusted and ashamed by the killing of Mr. George Floyd and far many others that came before him, lives taken unjustly, lives taken through brutality, and all lives that matter."
With his display of solidarity, Mance joined a growing chorus of police officers, politicians, and celebrities who are calling for racial equality reform, including Trump's 2020 challenger Joe Biden. Now, Morgan is urging the POTUS to do the same.
Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Ben Carson has indicated that the POTUS is planning to make some kind of concrete statement regarding the issue.
“I believe you’re going to be hearing from the president this week on this topic in some detail, and I would ask you maybe to reserve judgment until after that time,” he told CNN.
But Morgan has a different suggestion to "spare him the bother" of a speech.
“If President Trump really wants to make a statement about race and unity, one that rocks the entire world, then with the American people watching live on TV, he should simply take the knee in the Oval Office,” Morgan said.
"In one stunning moment, Trump could heal so many wounds, unify so much of the country, and quite probably get himself re-elected," he continued. "Because it would show he finally gets it, and actually cares. Of course, it’s the very last thing anyone would expect him to do. But if Trump’s one thing, he’s constantly surprising."
“Do it, Mr. President,” Morgan urged. “Take the knee.”
The 'Good Morning Britain' host also pointed at former NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 demonstration, saying it was evidence that Trump had been wrong from the start.
“The cold hard truth for the President is that Kaepernick’s been shown by George Floyd’s murder to be on the right side of history,” Morgan declared, “and Trump’s increasingly showing himself to be on the wrong side.”
Furthermore, Morgan also took issue with the president's condemnation of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s apology with regard to the players' previous demonstrations.
Goodell said on June 5 that the National Football League was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier” and asserted that “we, the National Football League, believe black lives matter. I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country.”