Trump's latest message? To not 'falsely label' people racist
As US cities host protests about racial inequality and police behaviour, Donald Trump avoids meeting law enforcement officials.
Friday 12 June 2020 04:01, UK
If you wanted to understand the tensions in the relationship between the public and law enforcement in a major American city right now, there are a few people it would make sense to meet.
Dallas is the ninth-largest city in the United States, a country that is currently consumed by protests and anger over race, inequality and police brutality.
The city's police chief, the county sheriff and the district attorney - the most senior law enforcement figures - are all black.
But the president of the United States, flying in to address the uproar in his country, chose not to meet any of them.
There was certainly room in the 1,800-seat Gateway Church where he held his roundtable session with community leaders.
There was certainly room on the platform, as there had been at an event in Washington the previous day, for members of the African American community to heap praise on the president.
But Dallas police chief Renée Hall, Dallas County sheriff Marion Brown and district attorney John Creuzot were not there.
Mr Creuzot told the Dallas Morning News that the president would "not be getting the full picture of advice from law-enforcement".
"We are the people on the ground," he said.
:: Listen to Divided States on , , , and
Instead the president heard a lot of complimentary words about his record and some rapturous applause from a largely unmasked audience, spaced one seat from each other.
Mr Trump did promise that action on police reform was in the works but also decried that millions of Americans were being "falsely labelled" as racist.
He also chuckled over how security forces had sliced through peaceful protesters at the White House "like a knife through butter".
He is betting on instincts that he believes won him the White House in 2016.
Mr Trump was originally coming to Dallas for a $10m campaign dinner. A cool half a million dollars (£398,000) buys you dinner and a photo with the president.
Fundraising for November's election is the least of Mr Trump's worries. The demands of millions of Americans for change are what should really concern him.