Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Friday weighed in on the “horrific murder” of George Floyd and denounced President Donald Trump’s “hateful and racist rhetoric” in his response to the protests in Minnesota.
In a statement, the county’s top prosecutor said she extends her “heartfelt condolences to the family and community of George Floyd” and called for “those responsible for this horrific murder” to be held accountable.
“I am also disgusted by our president’s hateful and racist rhetoric in the wake of the uprisings in Minneapolis,” Foxx said. “At a time when we are once again reckoning with the toxic poison of racism, we must reject those who delight in dividing us and instead come together to forge a better future.”
In tweets on Thursday, Trump called the protesters in Minneapolis “THUGS” and pledged to enlist the military, saying, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Foxx took office amid protests over another African American who died at the hands of police.
Her election to the office in 2016 was largely a referendum on the way her predecessor handled the case involving 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was shot 16 times by then Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke.
The Trump tweet, which was flagged by Twitter on Friday, came amid days of violent protests over the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who was handcuffed and pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck on Monday.
“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen,” Trump tweeted about the protesters. “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!”
Alluding to a message tweeted out by former President Barack Obama. Foxx said that “while we all want our world to go back to ‘normal’ amidst this global pandemic, we have to remember that for people of color – and particularly Black men – ‘normal’ has been discriminatory, dehumanizing, and deadly.”
“Our next chapter must be better, not normal,” Foxx’s statement continued. “Rekia Boyd, Laquan McDonald, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor should all be alive today. Christian Cooper should have been able to walk through a park without being profiled. I am praying for their families and communities as they seek justice and peace.”
