Brooklyn, NY—Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s mishandling of recent instances of targeted police brutality and protests across the nation:

“45 did not create the systemic racism that has caused this moment, but he has spent three years fanning the flames of hatred and spent the last week emboldening the police to continue their wanton aggression against peaceful protestors. As the nation continues to try to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis substantially exacerbated by a lack of executive leadership, many Americans have taken to the streets to voice deeply held convictions about the longstanding, nearly inherent inequities of our system.”

“The reaction of the executive branch exposes an underlying truth that both sides of the aisle could likely agree on: the White House is more concerned with order than justice. By declaring himself the ‘law and order President,’ 45 has dug deeper into the open wounds that have plagued this nation since its founding and has long since abdicated any responsibility he has regarding the moral leadership of the nation.”

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