President Donald Trump is planning to make the riots in America’s major cities a part of his focus during the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.
“He will speak about the issue also in terms of how the reaction cannot be to escalate violence,” Murtaugh said. “We cannot have Americans continue to harm Americans in our streets, and also in the frame, the police should be allowed to do their jobs and that he respects and admires the work that the vast majority of our men and women of law enforcement do.”
In recent months, in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, unrest has rocked Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis. In recent days, riots and arson broke out in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the shooting of a black man who appeared to be resisting arrest in viral footage.
Over the summer, Trump has attempted to paint himself as the “law and order” candidate in the wake of the civil unrest and left-wing calls to defund or even abolish police departments. The president said he’s attempted to provide federal agents to combat a rise in crime across major cities and curb the unrest.
At the same time, Trump and Republicans have cast former vice president Joe Biden as weak and ineffective on crime and rioting.
“The media generally has ignored or glossed over the criticism of Joe Biden’s record,” Murtaugh added. “The best way to really punch through is if the president delivers this speech himself.”
“The president will also compare his record of mounting an unprecedented effort to combat the coronavirus versus Joe Biden’s basement strategy of sitting on the sidelines and offering nothing but useless criticisms,” Murtaugh said, adding: “We look forward to a good, strong, tough speech but one filled with policy and one filled with contrast between his own record” and the Democrats’ vision.
