Published 22:33 IST, June 5th 2020
US President Donald Trump uses upbeat jobs report to calm nerves on George Floyd protests
US President Donald Trump said that George Floyd would be pleased with higher employment figures released on Friday, as he faced intense pressure over unrest
Under intense pressure over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, an economy in recession and widespread social unrest following the death of an unarmed black man after a white policeman pinned his neck under a knee, US President Donald Trump had a piece of good news to cheer and trumpet about on Friday — an upbeat jobs report suggesting the world's largest economy is recovering more sharply than expected.
Trump linked the jobs report to George Floyd — the African American man victim of police brutality — suggesting that he would be pleased with higher employment figures released. “Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying there’s a great thing happening for our country,” Trump said in remarks at the White House during a press conference. “It’s a great day for him, it’s a great day for everybody,” he added.
The President reasserted one of his oft-repeated lines: "Nobody has ever done for the black community than what President Trump has." This, with regards to record-high employment numbers of US minority communities like African-Americans pre-coronavirus. He touted increased federal government assistance to black educational institutions and policies like tax cuts and criminal justice reforms as his work towards the black population.
Employment stunningly rose by 2.5 million in May and the jobless rate declined to 13.3%, according to data Friday from the Labor Department that was far better than economists had been expecting and indicated that an economic turnaround could be close at hand. Although, the rate for African Americans ticked up to 16.8%, the highest in more than a decade.
Trump stares at social unrest
George Floyd’s death in police custody sparked a huge uproar and triggered widespread peaceful protests across the country with sporadic incidents of violence and looting. Trump has been threatening to deploy active-duty military troops to suppress the protesters which turned violent at times. He has sparked a Twitter frenzy against the anti-racism protests in the country, often describing largely peaceful demonstrators as "thugs".
Civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have sued Donald Trump for the crackdown on protesters demonstrating against police brutality in front of the White House. The lawsuit has been filed against Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and other federal officials for alleged violation of constitutional rights of protesters.
Updated 22:33 IST, June 5th 2020