Former First Lady Michelle Obama said it is racist for President Trump to call out the violent riots that have rocked the United States since May because most of the protests have been peaceful.
In a campaign video for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Obama said the violence has only been a "tiny fraction" of the overall protests that have been ongoing since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"But right now, the president and his allies are trying to tap into that frustration and distract from his breathtaking failures by giving folks someone to blame other than them. They’re stoking fears about black and brown Americans lying about how minorities will destroy the suburbs, whipping up violence and intimidation, and they’re pinning it all on what’s been an overwhelmingly peaceful movement for racial solidarity. It’s true. Research backs it up. Only a tiny fraction of demonstration have had any violence at all," Obama states.
"So what the president is doing is once again patently false, it’s morally wrong, and yes, it is racist," she continued. "But that doesn’t mean it won’t work because this is a difficult time, a confusing time. And when people hear these lies and crazy conspiracy theories repeated over and over and over again, they don’t know what to think. With everything going on in their lives, they don’t have time to fact check falsehoods being spread throughout the Internet. And even reasonable people might get scared. And the one thing this president is really, really good at is using fear and confusion and spreading lies to win."
While BLM protests have been occurring since late spring, the riots, which often evolve from the protests as day turns into night, is expected to cost over $1 billion.
Axios reported the damaged caused by riots from May 26-June 8 in 20 states will cost the insurance industry more than any other violent riot in recent history, as it could reach $2 billion with other riots occurring after June 8.