Former US President Barack Obama called rioters criminals in 2015, five years after his successor Donald Trump attracted criticism for threatening that looters would be shot.
Trump had tweeted to condemn rioting and looting of private businesses in the wake of the killing of a black man, George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. 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,” the president’s highly-controversial May 29 tweet read.
While many liberals have condemned the Republican President, a video of former President Obama, a Democrat, making similar comments back in 2015 has surfaced.
In a televised April 28, 2015 speech, Obama condemned those prising doors open to “loot”.
“They’re not protesters. They’re not making a statement. They’re stealing.
“They’re destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities,” the two-term president said.
He went on to call them “criminals” and “thugs”.
Watch video:
I’ve heard a LOT of Democrats excusing riots, looting and arson this week as a necessary expression of people who feel unheard. Let’s roll the tape back to see what Obama said about rioters… Weird how ya’ll suddenly have a different view. pic.twitter.com/6MBcwGBc3s
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) June 7, 2020
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