Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, calling for police reform while simultaneously praising law enforcement and drawing sharp disapproval from his critics.
In a Rose Garden ceremony, Trump reiterated that Americans want “law and order,” according to NPR, even though there has been immense pressure to change how Americans are policed, with protests against systemic racism and police brutality taking place across the country.
The executive order doesn’t take any major steps to curb police brutality but does allocate federal grant money to States, and local law enforcement for training creates a database on excessive use of force and promotes the use of appropriate social services to deal with mental health, drug addiction, and homelessness.
The order also bans chokeholds but includes a loophole that makes chokeholds ok if an officer feels their life is in danger.
“I’m signing an executive order encouraging police departments nationwide to adopt the highest professional standards to serve their communities. These standards will be as high and as strong as there is on earth,” Trump said.
But Critics feel like the order came up short in enacting any real change in policing and does not address concerns of black people and people of color, who are disproportionally mistreated by police officers.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted, “The President’s Executive Order falls seriously short of what is required to combat the epidemic of racial injustice & police brutality that is murdering Black Americans.”
Senator Chuck Schumer called on Congress to pass much more sweeping police reform and called Trump’s executive order “modest,” saying it “will not make up for his years of inflammatory rhetoric and policies designed to roll back progress.”
Earlier in the day, Trump met with the families of people killed by police, including Botham Jean, Ahmaud Arbery, Antwon Rose, Atatiana Jefferson, and Darius Tarver.
“These are incredible people, incredible people. And it’s so sad,” Trump said.
Trump told the families that “all Americans mourn by your side. Your loved ones will not have died in vain. We are one nation. We grieve together. And we heal together.”
The families were not present at the Rose Garden ceremony, and according to White House adviser Ja’Ron Smith the families’ absences was “a mutual decision because it really wasn’t about doing a photo opportunity.”
Instead, Trump was surrounded by law enforcement officials as he signed the executive order and posed for photos.
Discover more from Baller Alert
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
