Donald Trump delivers remarks alongside SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son (R) and Trump’s alternative for Secretary of Commerce, Cantor Fitzgerald, Chairman and CEO Howard Lutnick, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on December 16, 2024, in Palm Seaside, Florida. | Supply: Andrew Harnik / Getty
Donald Trump used a wide-ranging and rambling press convention on Monday partly to supply a harsh condemnation to the suspected gunman who shot and killed a medical health insurance CEO simply days after the President-elect prolonged a heat welcome to a vigilante who choked an unarmed Black man to loss of life over a perceived risk.
It was directly a show of Trump’s penchant for the illogical, if not flat-out racism since he was successfully justifying one deadly sneak assault over the opposite. A better look alongside granular traces reveals that Trump accredited of the brazen killing of an unarmed and unsuspecting Black man whereas disparaging the brazen killing of an unarmed and unsuspecting white man, each of whom have been slain in Trump’s native New York Metropolis.
The optics have been already damning sufficient over the weekend when Daniel Penny, simply days faraway from his surprising acquittal of negligent murder for killing Jordan Neely – an unhoused road performer within the throes of a psychological well being disaster on a subway prepare final 12 months – fortunately accepted an invite from vice president-elect JD Vance to attend the annual Military-Navy soccer recreation alongside Trump and Vance.
On Saturday, whereas attending the sport, Trump posed for a photograph subsequent to Penny. Each males have been smiling broadly and Trump gave a thumbs-up signal along with his hand, indicating his express approval of the identical man who sneaked up behind Neely and positioned him in a sprawling chokehold for six consecutive minutes on the ground of a subway prepare whereas bystanders recorded the lethal episode. Penny, a former Marine, mentioned he acted to guard his fellow subway passengers, none of whom testified at trial that Neely had straight threatened them. A health worker concluded that Penny killed Neely by way of the chokehold.
Daniel Penny and Donald Trump pose on the Military-Navy soccer recreation on Dec. 14, 2024. | Supply: X
Barely two days after taking that photograph alongside Penny, Trump held the aforementioned press convention at his Mar-A-Lago membership in Florida and prompt he couldn’t perceive how anybody may present help for Luigi Mangione, who’s accused of murdering United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson.
“I believe it’s a horrible factor that some individuals like this man,” Trump mentioned of the surging reputation being lent to Mangione, whoise alleged capturing might have been motivated by anger concerning the insurance coverage business denying protection to sufferers in want.
Trump prompt Mangione suffered from “a illness” and that Thompson’s capturing “was so unhealthy” as a result of he was struck “proper within the again.”
Trump added of Mangione and people displaying him help: “There’s a sure urge for food for him…I don’t get it.”
But, Trump’s welcome to Penny suggests not solely that he understands Neely’s killing but additionally that it’s not “so unhealthy” though he was ambushed from “the again” like Thompson was.
As an alternative, and inexplicably, Trump – who has on multiple event referred to himself as “the regulation and order president” – solely had criticism for Thompson’s killer.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect who allegedly killed the CEO of a significant insurance coverage group, UnitedHealthcare, in New York Metropolis was taken into custody by police in Pennsylvania, on December 10, 2024. | (Photograph by PA Division of Corrections / Handout/Anadolu by way of Getty Photographs) | Supply: Anadolu / Getty
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy at Neely’s funeral final 12 months, described help for Penny from Vance and Trump as “a pure endorsement of vigilantism – even when it results in homicide.”
In the meantime, the mom of Eric Garner – an unarmed Black man who was choked to loss of life by an NYPD mob over the nonviolent suspicion of illegally promoting untaxed free cigarettes – prompt Penny benefited from the colour of his pores and skin when it got here to the outcomes of his trial.
“If this had been the opposite approach – if your loved ones had murdered this so-called harmless man now – it might have been a unique story,” Gwen Carr informed Neely’s household about Penny at a press convention held instantly following the studying of the decision. “He would have been in jail and would have by no means got here out. However they don’t do the identical to us. It’s two justice methods and we now have to cease this.”
That is America.
SEE ALSO:
Notorious ‘Subway Vigilante’ Bernhard Goetz Speaks Out About Daniel Penny’s Chokehold Trial
The Killing Of Jordan Neely And Why Police Ought to Additionally Be Held To Account
