An Uprising in the US?

The image of President Donald Trump apropos of the US presidential elections in November is being seriously damaged after the sounded uprising with worldwide repercussions that is taking place in that country.

While describing the situation, a BBC London´s column pointed out that the image belonged to a fractured, broken nation with no leader capable of joining forces.

In riots stirred by the assassination of the Afro-American citizen George Floyd, the police have thrown tear gases and rubber bullets against protesters.

According to the BBC, the crime took place when George Floyd was arrested by the Minneapolis´ police. Massive protests have been taken place since last week, which extended to more than 100 cities.

Violent actions, deaths, wounded people, vandalism, and hundreds of prisoners have characterized the uprisings.

Based on some observers´ views, this is the greatest wave of racial turmoil in the US since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Former US President Barack Obama labeled the actions as a “mindset change” within the US.

The column highlights that while facing this situation, Trump is garnering growing critics due to his aggressive and dividing attitude from both Democrats and some members of the Republican Party, even religious leaders.

Joan Hoff, outstanding historian in the US, said in an interview granted to BBC:

“This is certainly the worst crisis in the last century, especially when there is no presidential leadership acting with common sense.”

The TV network adds that protests against the assassination of George Floyd did not target Trump at first.

However, the President, instead of appeasing the unrest, accused protesters of terrorism and threatened to deploy the military in the streets.

This action unleashed the response of some state governors representing both parties who warned such decision would worsen the crisis.

Charlie Baker, Rep. governor in Massachusetts, said to the press:

“At so many times during these past several weeks when the country needed compassion and leadership the most, Trump was nowhere to be found.”

Meanwhile at the US Congress, some Republicans joined Democrat leaders to criticize Trump.

But, as it had happened before with Trump´s controversial actions, many of the Republican senators have silenced or justified his actions.

The BBC also showed that Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, blocked a Democrat bill condemning the use of tear gas against protesters and justified it by saying “I observe a myopic obsession with President Trump.”

The head of state congratulated himself in a Tweet when he posted “Washington and Minneapolis are under control thanks to overwhelming force of police officers: Thanks President Trump!”

Nonetheless, he was criticized even by religious leaders such as Washington´s Episcopal Bishop, Mariann Budde.

She stated in the Washington Post: “Everything he has done and said has fueled violence. We need moral leadership, and he has done everything to divide us.”

The New York Times reported that the President was taken by the Secret Service to an underground bunker due to the riots taking place outside the White House.

The aforementioned column also pointed out that “troops in military vehicles were deployed all over the capital city and new fences were installed around the White House to avoid the presence of protesters.”

This scenario, amid the sanitary crisis where more than 105.000 people have died, is the hardest hit to the US economy since the 1929 Great Depression.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff