The ongoing protests in the United States that spread towards the rest of the world was sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. US first lady Melania Trump recently tweeted her condolences to Floyd’s family.
Melania took to Twitter to send her condolences to George Floyd’s family. “As the Memorial Service for George Floyd takes place in Minneapolis today, I once again extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. It is my hope our country will come together in peace & heal from these challenging times,” tweeted the first lady.
Despite her message paying respects to Floyd’s family, many users on social media criticized her, especially noting the actions of her husband Donald Trump. One user tweeted, “Biden is at the funeral and Trump has build a wall around the White House hiding in his bunker,” referring to the reports that the first family was brought to the bunker following the escalated protests in Washington D.C.
Journalist Helen Kennedy also replied to the FLOTUS’s tweet, pointing out her husband’s consideration of invoking the Insurrection Act or deploying active-duty soldiers to disperse the protests. “Your husband is siccing the US military on peaceful protesters. Your tweets ring very hollow,” tweeted Kennedy.
The protests began over the weekend, which eventually escalated into heated altercations between the protesters and local law enforcement. Properties were also damaged in the midst of the protests, cars were burned, and some businesses were looted by those who are supposedly joining in the protests. George Floyd was the latest unarmed African-American to be killed by police officers and now many are calling for an end to racial injustice that continues to be prevalent. Public figures have also spoken up and addressed the issue, including former vice president Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, the first lady was also briefed on hurricane preparedness at the Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA. According to the readout from the White House, FEMA officials, as well as officials from the Red Cross, were present to inform the first lady about the resources available to children and families in the event of a hurricane. Melania previously attended another hurricane preparedness briefing alongside her husband last week.