Donald Trump's top campaign official suggested that protests at the convention and across the country could help bolster the billionaire's campaign.
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort told reporters Monday that protests would show "lawlessness" and "lack of respect" for political discourse that "will probably help the campaign," per Bloomberg Politics.
Manafort also said Trump will continue to blame Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama and their "failed leadership" for the nationwide unrest, according to Politico:
Manafort told reporters at an on-the-record breakfast discussion sponsored by Bloomberg Politics that African-Americans in the inner cities are frustrated by a "rigged system," one laid bare by the FBI's decision not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.
"It creates a system of justice people don't think is fair," he said. "When you're black living in the inner city and you see that, the message is the system doesn't seem to work."
The opening day of the convention will be focused on law and order. Among those scheduled to speak Monday in prime time are former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Check out the full schedule here.
Manafort's remarks came a day after three police officers were shot dead in Baton Rouge. The head of Cleveland's largest police union sent a letter to John Kasich on Sunday calling on the Ohio governor to temporarily halt the state's open carry gun law in order to help tighten security during the GOP convention. Kasich denied the request, saying he did not have the power to "arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws."
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