Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order he said would encourage better police practices. But he made no mention of the roiling national debate over racism spawned by police killings of Black people.
Trump met privately with the families of several Black Americans killed in interactions with police before his Rose Garden signing ceremony and said he grieved for the lives lost and families devastated. But he quickly shifted his tone and devoted most of his public remarks to a need to respect and support "the brave men and women in blue who police our streets and keep us safe."
But Trump, who has faced criticism for failing to acknowledge systemic racial bias and has advocated for rougher police treatment of suspects, has continued to hold his "law and order" line. At the signing event, he railed against those who committed violence during the largely peaceful protests while hailing the vast majority of officers as selfless public servants.
While Trump hailed his efforts as "historic," Democrats and other critics said he didn't go nearly far enough. But Trump said others want to go too far. He framed his plan as an alternative to the "defund the police" movement to fully revamp departments that has emerged from the protests and that he slammed as "radical and dangerous."
White House adviser Ja'Ron Smith said it was "a mutual decision" for the families not to attend the public signing.
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