On Wednesday, Donald Trump Jr. ripped former Vice President Joe Biden for raising campaign funds off of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
In a lengthy email to supporters on Tuesday, Joe Biden echoed Floyd’s last words “I can’t breathe” to ask for more money in the effort to oust Trump this coming November:
“I can’t breathe.” “I can’t breathe.”
George Floyd’s last words. But they didn’t die with him. They’re still being heard. They’re echoing across this nation.
They speak to a nation where too often just the color of your skin puts your life at risk.
They speak to a nation where more than 100,000 people have lost their lives to a virus – and 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment – with a disproportionate number of these deaths and job losses concentrated in black and brown communities.
And they speak to a nation where every day millions of people – not at the moment of losing their life – but in the course of living their life – are saying to themselves, “I can’t breathe.”
Though the email did not directly ask for money, the bottom of the email included a link asking for people to donate money.
“The [Joe Biden] campaign is shamelessly fundraising off of the death of George Floyd,” tweeted Trump Jr. “People are still grieving and Joe’s using this awful tragedy to line the pockets of his campaign. Not right… but also not surprising!”
As reported by Fox News, the Trump campaign has not been silent about the violent riots that have ravaged America in its email to supporters; the campaign, however, included no donation links.
“Dangerous MOBS of far-left groups are running through our streets and causing absolute mayhem. They are DESTROYING our cities and rioting – it’s absolute madness,” said a Trump campaign email. “President Trump has made it clear he will not tolerate their disgusting acts of violence against innocent citizens, which is why the United States will be formally designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.”
The Trump emails asked people to give their email addresses, which could be used for donation pleas in the future. The emails made no mention of George Floyd’s tragic death.
In fairness to the Biden email, it did condemn the rioting and looting that has destroyed many (mostly minority-owned) businesses.
“But there is no place for violence,” the email said. “No place for looting or destroying property or burning churches, or destroying businesses – many of them built by people of color who, for the first time, were beginning to realize their dreams and build wealth for their families. Nor is it acceptable for our police – sworn to protect and serve all people – to escalate tensions or resort to excessive violence. We need to distinguish between legitimate peaceful protest – and opportunistic violent destruction.”
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