Tag: Trump thinks governors work for him

Listen: Here is the leaked audio of Trump’s ‘unhinged’ call with mayors and governors

AlterNet logoIn a teleconference call with governors and mayors on Monday amid escalating protests throughout the United States, President Donald Trump ranted against their “weak” leadership and urged officials to ramp up arrests, according to audio obtained by CNN.

The president also said of New York City protests, “They took over the police department. Police were running down with sirens and they — I have never seen anything like it, and the whole world was laughing…. All of a sudden, and I said you got to use the National Guard. And they did.”

Trump also said, “I live in Manhattan. What’s going on in Manhattan?…. I don’t what’s going on in Manhattan, but it’s terrible, it is terrible…. Because it’s Manhattan, it gets a lot of press.” Continue reading.

Illinois governor immediately confronted Trump over his ‘inflammatory’ rhetoric during call

AlterNet logoIn leaked audio obtained by CNN, President Donald Trump can be heard lambasting governors during a teleconference call on Monday — slamming them as “weak” for not doing more to bring protestors under control and not encouraging more arrests. Trump stressed that he wanted governors to “dominate” protestors. But Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker did not take it lying down.

Pritzker, according to the Chicago-Sun Times, asserted that he is “extraordinarily concerned about the rhetoric that’s been used” by Trump following protests in response to the killing of African-American Minneapolis resident George Floyd on May 25.

The Illinois governor told Trump, “It’s been inflammatory, and it’s not OK for that officer to choke George Floyd to death, but we have to call for calm. We have to have police reform called for. We’ve called out our National Guard and our state police, but the rhetoric that’s coming out of the White House is making it worse. And I need to say that people are feeling real pain out there. And we’ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making sure that we’re addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters. That will help us to bring order.” Continue reading.