Donald Trump appeared on Fox News on Thursday where he was asked to defend his tweets that called Black Lives Matter protestors “thugs.”
Trump was interviewed by Fox News personality Harris Faulkner, who asked him specifically about one of his tweets – the tweet below, which has been flagged by Twitter.
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’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 line, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” was infamously said by then-Miami Police Chief Walter Headley in 1967.
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But according to Trump, he got the line from former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, who once used the slogan “vote white.”
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 11, 2020
Take a look at Trump’s remarks in the video clip below:
Faulkner: Why those words?
Trump: So that’s an expression I’ve heard over the years
Faulkner: Do you know where it comes from?
Trump: I think Philadelphia. The mayor of Philadelphia.
Faulkner: It comes from 1967 pic.twitter.com/J8EgoVXcqX
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 11, 2020
