Trump Asked If Authorities Could Just Shoot George Floyd Protesters, Fmr Defense Sec Says

US President Donald Trump holds up a Bible outside of St John's Episcopal church across Lafayette Park in Washington, DC on June 1, 2020. - US President Donald Trump was due to make a televised address to the nation ... US President Donald Trump holds up a Bible outside of St John's Episcopal church across Lafayette Park in Washington, DC on June 1, 2020. - US President Donald Trump was due to make a televised address to the nation on Monday after days of anti-racism protests against police brutality that have erupted into violence. The White House announced that the president would make remarks imminently after he has been criticized for not publicly addressing in the crisis in recent days. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

At the height of the nationwide protests over the police murder of George Floyd, then-President Donald Trump asked if authorities could simply shoot the Black Lives Matter protesters who had taken to the streets in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, according to a new memoir. 

The account came from former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, whose memoir was quoted by Axios Monday. 

“Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” Trump asked of the protestors, according to Axios’ report on Esper’s book. 

On June 1, 2020, protesters around Lafayette Square, near the White House, were cleared by law enforcement so that Trump and several senior administration officials could stage their now-infamous photo-op in front of a church, during which Trump showed off a Bible for the camera. Esper was among those officials.

Trump’s question, Esper reportedly wrote, came that week. According to Axios, he wrote that it “was surreal, sitting in front of the Resolute desk, inside the Oval Office, with this idea weighing heavily in the air, and the president red faced and complaining loudly about the protests under way in Washington, D.C.” 

“The good news — this wasn’t a difficult decision,” the former Defense Secretary added. “The bad news — I had to figure out a way to walk Trump back without creating the mess I was trying to avoid.”

On June 1, authorities didn’t use live ammunition to clear the crowd, but they did use tear gas. That show of force came after reports that Trump had hidden in a White House bunker a few days prior in response to the protests. 

Esper claimed at a congressional hearing the following month that he didn’t know who gave the order to clear the area.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. TFG was holding the upside down Bible in search of a biblical president precedent.

  2. No one should be surprised by any of this.

    They should, however, be aware, that the next GQP President won’t ask for permission first.

  3. Execrable at every turn. Always says or does the thing that shouldn’t even be countenanced. A walking talking abomination machine.

  4. And because that “president” will be a Republican, it’ll be perfectly legal. Until one day, summary executions on the street will be normal too.

  5. Qualified immunity, obviously.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

241 more replies

Participants

Avatar for xpurg8d Avatar for daveminnj Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for yskov Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for alyoshakaramazov1 Avatar for thebishop Avatar for hoagie Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for 21zna9 Avatar for katscherger Avatar for drtv Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for glowgirl Avatar for txlawyer Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for kovie Avatar for Hatmama Avatar for geographyjones Avatar for madassyrian

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: