When the looting starts, the shooting starts.

[Annamaria14]

Can you believe that Trump has just tweeted this comment? He is talking about the protests about George Floyd's death. He has also called the protestors "thugs".

Twitter has put a warning on his twitter post, saying that it "glorifies violence". It is also racist!

The "historical context" is a reference to the late 1960s, when the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" was coined by Miami Police Chief Walter Headley, in reference to his aggressive policing policies in black neighbourhoods.

[RoosterPie]

I’m absolutely disgusted. Provocative, irresponsible and offensive

[ChoosingHim]

TBF there probably are lot of thugs jumping on the opportunity to loot stores. I understand peoples anger, I'm angry myself, but how is looting a business going to help bring the cop to justice?

[Laserbird16]

I can totally believe Trump tweeted that. He is a massive racist so it's on brand for him. Abhorrent just like Trump.

[Annamaria14]

@ChoosingHim but should a president be threatening to shoot people that are looting!

[Annamaria14]

And it is the historically racist context of the comment that is frightening!

[PeppermintSoda]

He is probably just calling (understandable) protesting "looting" to make the protesters look bad.

[Moondust001]

And yes, it is disgusting. But "protest" and "criminal thuggery" are different things. The former does not require arson, violence and looting. Those doing this are not "angry at injustice" - they are thugs exploiting the situation for their own ends. They demean the real purpose of protest and contribute to the reasons why nothing changes.

It didn't help that the victims brother appeared to condone the violence by saying they are just angry and that is why it is happening. There is no excuse for being as bad as the people that you are criticising. What we are now seeing is not protest, it is, put simply, testosterone. I wonder just how many of those "protesters" are women. I'd lay bets not many. Perhaps what America needs is more Rosa Parks'?

[BarbaraofSeville]

Massive angry sighing and eyerolling here when I heard that. Totally appalling from someone in his position.

How the fuck do they allow Trump his own twitter account? If his advisors had any sense, surely he wouldn't be able to tweet anything without it being approved by his PR team?

[Annamaria14]

Even taking away the historically racial undertones of what he said

"When the looting starts the shooting starts" - was a term used to threaten black people in the 1960's.

How is it okay for a president to threaten to shoot people on social media at all!

When we had very bad snow in Ireland one year, there was looting of some shops. Our prime minister did not go online threatening to shoot people!

Trump is out of control

[ArriettyJones]

Typical Trump. No surprise at all, unfortunately.

Also reminds me of Thatcher’s reaction to the Brixton riots, 40 years ago. So that all fits.

[hapagirl]

I’m American and absolutely horrified with this comment on so many levels. I (still) can’t believe this man runs the US. I actually swore in front of my kids when I heard this on the news.

[Notmyrealname855]

Trump can’t govern, and he can’t unite a country, and he can’t garner respect. There’s no leadership from him. It’s only going to get worse in the run up to the election, he’s getting desperate

[SimonJT]

I’m really not surprised about a proud and vocal racist being racist, sadly a great many republicans will be pro his comment.

[OfaFrenchmind2]

There is a lot of looting. And the Los Angeles Riots have shown that people are indeed going to shoot. And then the areas that have been looted will lose once again shops, supports to the community, etc... This is what creates Food deserts, convenience shops with Bullet proof glass between cashier and shopper...
Looters destroy their own communities for the long term. They don't give a fuck about the dead man, they just want "free stuff".

But a POTUS should never gleefully and ominously write this kind of things. This is a disaster and he is fanning the flames, like a bottom feeding cunt.

[Moondust001]

@PeppermintSoda

He is probably just calling (understandable) protesting "looting" to make the protesters look bad.

I don't see how violence and arson and looting are understandable protests. I'm the last person to support Trump because I despise him and everything he stands for, including this tweet. But the evidence of the violence is there to see. It isn't protest. The genuine points of the protesters is being lost in the violence.

What people often fail to recognise is that Trump is actually a master at vocalising the things that many people think but are too "polite" to say. And in doing so he actually gives permission to them to say it and take it to the next stage. Watch his rallies and see how normal ordinary people become howling baying mobs only just short of violent. He is far from being entirely as stupid as he appears. It might be native cunning. But he's by no means stupid.

[Annamaria14]

It is just a different world, because even when looting happens - those people do not deserve to be shot!

We had looting in Ireland during very bad snow one year, people used diggers to break into shops. There was never even the slightest THOUGHT by anyone, that those people should be shot. They were arrested and charged.

Why should looters be shot? They should be jailed! I just can't grt my head around that kind of statement, by a president!

[JustHereWithMyPopcorn]

When I read your OP I thought you meant he was implying the looters would be shooting and then I realised what he meant. The man is a disgrace to the office of President.

[Moondust001]

@Notmyrealname855

Trump can’t govern, and he can’t unite a country, and he can’t garner respect. There’s no leadership from him. It’s only going to get worse in the run up to the election, he’s getting desperate

He certainly can unite people. You may not like the fact, but he can - he unites the worst instincts in people. That is how he got elected the first time, and I was saying that to people all the way before the last election and nobody believed me. He's not desperate. He's doing it again. He thinks it will work again. And I regret to say that he might just be right about that. Don't write him off - that is a very dangerous thing to do.

[SimonJT]

@Moondust001 Odd how he didn’t mention white people protesing with guns because they wanted a hair cut.

Normally ordinary people are not racist, sexist, homophobic or ableist, they’re arseholes, they’re not normal because the human race is not disgusting by default, holding disgusting views is an active choice.

[AlwaysCheddar]

Looters should be arrested, arses.

[IhateBoswell]

Eww, it’s Trump. Anyone surprised?

[Needamanicure]

Trump is out of control but he was elected by the American public - they actually chose him to run their country

Madness to many of us but in a democratic country even complete idiots/narcisists/out of control individuals can be elected .....

The US is a very strange country

[JustHereWithMyPopcorn]

Now he has threatened Twitter for daring to put a fact check on his Tweets, if I ran Twitter that's one poster who would be banned!

[PeppermintSoda]

I don't see how violence and arson and looting are understandable protests
That's not what i wrote at all.

[x2boys]

I have been following it on CNN I hope the looting and the riots don't over shadow George Floyd's death ,I absolutely understand the outrage though it's horrific and I hope the Cops get charged with murder.