‘A great day for him’: Trump faces backlash for brief comments on George Floyd Friday

With the many advocates in the U.S. Friday still stumping for racial equality after George Floyd’s death, President Donald Trump made comments during a media briefing that the slain black man would look at the economy turn around as a “great thing.”

Speaking for more than an hour at the White House Rose Garden, Trump gloated about the surprising job gains the country experienced over the last month, noting that 2.5 million workers were added to payrolls in the last 30 days. In addition to the Labor Department statistics, the president touted his efforts in being a part of the “rocket ship” economic rebound for the country.

“This shows that what we’ve been doing is right," Trump said of the jobs numbers. "This is outstanding what’s happened today."

In a peculiar transition from economy to social unrest, Trump noted that the “very good” months ahead and current improvements to the economy would be pleasing to Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest last week. Trump proclaimed Floyd would look at Friday as “a great day for him”

“Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country," Trump said, saying that economic rebound “is the greatest thing that can happen for race relations.”

With the country in upheaval over race relations, Trump spoke nearly an hour only briefly mentioning George Floyd, the black man who died as a police officer knelt on his neck last week in Minneapolis, and otherwise touting an economic recovery from the COVID crisis that has disproportionately affected black Americans.

The comments struck a chord with many, who found the comments disarming and tone-deaf. Thousands have been arrested in protests across the country fighting for improved race relations and an end to police brutality following Floyd’s death and the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery, a black man killed by two white men who allegedly called him the N-word after fatally shooting him.

The critiques and responses to his Friday morning speech were swift and pointed.

The protests, violence, looting and arrests have gone on for more than a week in cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta and New York. Just Thursday night, two Buffalo police officers knocked down a 75-year-old man during a protest, seriously injuring him. The two officers have been suspended from their jobs.

Some found Trump to be out of touch, considering the tense climate in major, diverse cities across the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.