‘Open Love Letter to Cops’: Americans Slam Trump for Turning Address on Police Reform Into ‘Tone Deaf’ Campaign Rally

President Donald Trump was slated to deliver a Rose Garden address on “Safe Policing for Safe Communities,” and sign an executive order on police reform on Tuesday at noon. Instead, Trump showed up late, and shortly into his remarks decided to go off-script and deliver a campaign rally speech, televised live by all the major news networks, during which he bragged about the former rate of unemployment for Black Americans, his support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and attacked the Obama administration.

Trump has spent the past few minutes in his speech announcing an executive order on policing reform talking about how good the economy was before the coronavirus pandemic.

— Anthony Zurcher (@awzurcher) June 16, 2020

The executive order Trump was to sign was expected to include a ban on chokeholds. Instead, the President told attendees: “Chokeholds will be banned except if an officer’s life is at risk. And I will say we’ve dealt with all of the various departments and everybody said ‘it’s time. We have to do it.’”

The executive order does not fully ban chokeholds. Instead, it allows them “in those situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law.”

So the President just signed an executive order to “ban chokeholds unless the officer’s life is at risk”. What does that mean? It means what it always meant. It means a cop could say “I thought, I felt” and get away with murder. This is not police reform or accountability.

— Shane Harris (@shaneharrisnow) June 16, 2020

Trump spent a significant portion early in his remarks praising law enforcement, and insisting that instead of defunding the police, Trump called for states and localities to increase spending on police departments.

Trump is entirely taking the side of police. He’s not even paying lip service to the issues that have animated protests across the country. pic.twitter.com/xael9qs0xc

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2020

Trump also lied about his predecessor’s efforts to reform the police, efforts he has dismantled.

“President Obama and Vice President Biden never even tried to fix this during their eight-year period. The reason they didn’t try is because they had no idea how to do it.”

You should note that this is a brazen lie. Obama set up a police reform task force that put out recommendations, and his DOJ negotiated consent decrees re certain abuse-ridden police departments. https://t.co/8YHUFJe8Z2

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) June 16, 2020

Political analyst and Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics Tiffany Cross summed up what many appeared to be saying on social media.

This is disgusting. An open love letter to cops in front of the families of their fallen victims from the man whose entire team says there’s no systemic racism in the country incl law enforcement. Who thought it would be a good idea to have the families used a props for this?

— @tiffanydcross (@TiffanyDCross) June 16, 2020

“All I saw were white faces when we’re talking about Black bodies,” Maya Wiley, speaking about attendees at Trump’s address, told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC.

Trump also bragged about the stock market and insisted a coronavirus cure would be coming soon. He also claimed, “I deal with these incredible scientists very, very closely.”

“They come up with the AIDS vaccine,” Trump claimed, possibly referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci. There is no AIDS vaccine, and Dr. Fauci says he hasn’t talked to Trump in “weeks.”

There is no AIDS vaccine. https://t.co/XBB4MuUbGE

— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) June 16, 2020

But overall, many were furious about Trump’s embrace of the police, after three weeks of daily and nightly protests against the killing of Black Americans by white police officers.

President Trump on rooting out bad cops: “They’re very tiny. I use the word tiny. It’s a very small percentage. But nobody wants to get rid of them more than the really good and great police officers.”

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) June 16, 2020

Trump’s speech responding to #BlackLivesMatter protests featured him characterizing school choice (not racism) as the defining civil rights issue in US history, as well as a defense of the Confederacy. Tone deaf even by his standards.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2020

The Executive Order does nothing. He will not pivot from institutionally backed racism. It’s his thing.

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 16, 2020

Trump closed his speech ostensibly about systemic racism in policing with a subtle defense of the Confederacy, which fought on behalf of slavery: “We must build upon our heritage, not tear it down.” pic.twitter.com/sM2YxmHjdv

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2020

Remember, they have no plan other than blame Obama.

— Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) June 16, 2020

So this "police reform" speech is basically just an overt celebration of cops

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 16, 2020