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As protests in response to the death of George Floyd rocked Minneapolis for a third night on Thursday, President Trump called the city’s mayor “weak” for failing to keep his community under control.
“A total lack of leadership,” the president wrote on Twitter TWTR, -3.37% late Thursday, adding that if “the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey,” didn’t “get his act together,” then the commander-in-chief was going to send in the National Guard.
Related:‘When the looting starts, the shooting starts’: Trump threatens to call military into Minneapolis
This also led to a second Trump tweet warning that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” which Twitter later slapped with a label warning that the post violated its terms of service because it “glorifies violence.”
These statements were brought to Frey’s attention as the mayor was giving a press conference in the middle of the night to address the violence, which included protesters setting fire to a police station.
“Weakness is refusing to take responsibility for your own actions,” he countered. “Weakness is pointing your finger at somebody else during a time of crisis.”
“Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis,” he continued, raising his voice. “We are strong as hell. Is this a difficult time period? Yes. But you better be damn sure that we’re gonna get through this.”
Watch it below, beginning at the 7:35 mark.
A state of emergency has been declared in Minneapolis, and the Minnesota National Guard has activated more than 500 soldiers to the city, the state capital of St. Paul and surrounding areas to “protect life, preserve property and ensure people’s right to peacefully demonstrate.”
Other protests have also broken out across the country this week after Floyd, a black man, was killed while under arrest for a nonviolent charge on Monday. While Floyd was handcuffed and lying on the ground, white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes — which was caught on a cellphone video that went viral. Floyd and several bystanders can be heard pleading with the officer to get off him for almost 10 minutes. Floyd lost consciousness at the scene, and was later pronounced dead.
The four officers involved in his death have been fired, but no charges had been brought against them. Protesters have been demanding justice for Floyd, as well as demonstrating against police brutality, particularly police violence against people of color.
