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Protests over the killing of George Floyd have escalated in the past few days, spreading to about 40 U.S. cities and even cities around the world. By and large, the protestors are demanding one thing: a deescalation of police brutality by demilitarizing the police. And how does Trump respond? By threatening to call the military in if state governors don’t get things under control. Trump called the governors weak in a call, goading them on to further violence. The police seem to be listening.

Police, unprovoked, savagely beat unarmed protestors in Philadelphia. Police in Buffalo knocked an elderly man to the ground, leading to a head injury. Both Swiss and Australian journalists have been attacked by police, and the police union refuses to identify the cops in the Australian case.

The protests are likely going to continue spreading, partly because of poor federal leadership on the issue of police violence against the black community. Trump’s response to the protests has probably exacerbated them. The mayor of Atlanta has even begged Trump just to stop talking altogether––silence would be better than his inflammatory ramblings. Cornel West has said that “we’re witnessing the collapse of the legitimacy of leadership.”