Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appeared on both CNN’s State of the Union and CBS News’ Face the Nation this Sunday morning. In both appearances, the mayor urged Donald Trump to “just stop” talking. The mayor compared Trump’s tweets about mass protests to his comments on Charlottesville, adding that “he speaks and he makes it worse.” Charlottesville is a reference to the deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the counter-protest. Trump famously commented that there were “very fine people on both sides.”
When speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN, Mayor Bottoms said of Trump: “If he can’t be silent, if there is somebody of good sense and good conscience in the White House, put him in front of a teleprompter and pray that he reads it. And at least says the right things, because he is making it worse.”
Here is that CNN clip.
�This is like Charlottesville all over again. He speaks and he makes it worse. There are times when you should just be quiet. And I wish that he would just be quiet.� Atlanta Mayor @KeishaBottoms reacts to President Trump�s handling of protests across the country. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/FN3qQJcOS2
� State of the Union (@CNNSotu) May 31, 2020
On Face the Nation, she suggested similarly, saying: “There are times where you should just stop, and this is one of those times.” She specified that this is “not about using military force. This is about where we are in America. We are beyond a tipping point in this country, and his rhetoric only inflames that. And he should sometimes just stop talking.”
Here is that clip.
WATCH: @CityofAtlanta Mayor @@KeishaBottoms slams @realdonaldtrump‘s rhetoric as “inflaming” violent protests nationwide, says it’s “making it worse” and he should “just stop talking”https://t.co/sUcmYRMjRD#GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/pM3p1FPwnZ
� Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 31, 2020
On Friday, Trump threatened to send the national guard to Minneapolis, Minnesota because of protests.
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I wonâÂ�Â�t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
The latter tweet was marked by Twitter as violating rules because it glorified violence.
On Saturday, Trump tweeted the following about protests outside of the White House, including that if protests breached the White House’s fence, they would have been met with “the most vicious dogs, and the most ominous weapons.” This tweet hasn’t been marked by Twitter; according to Axios, a Twitter spokesperson explained it’s because the tweet doesn’t threaten a specific group or person, and doesn’t encourage others to act in a violent way. Nor does it reference an event that actually occurred.
Great job last night at the White House by the U.S. @SecretService. They were not only totally professional, but very cool. I was inside, watched every move, and couldnâÂ�Â�t have felt more safe. They let the âÂ�Â�protestersâÂ�Â� scream & rant as much as they wanted, but whenever someone….
� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
….got too frisky or out of line, they would quickly come down on them, hard – didnâÂ�Â�t know what hit them. The front line was replaced with fresh agents, like magic. Big crowd, professionally organized, but nobody came close to breaching the fence. If they had they would….
� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
….have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. ThatâÂ�Â�s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least. Many Secret Service agents just waiting for action. âÂ�Â�We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and….
� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
Here is a longer version of the mayor’s CNN appearance.
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