Atlanta Mayor Connects Ahmaud Arbery Shooting to WH Rhetoric: People ‘Prone to Being Racist Are Given Permission’

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms drew a connection on Sunday between President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the unarmed African American jogger who was killed back in February.

Ever since video emerged of Arbery being chased down by Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, in their pickup truck, there has been a resurgence in conversation about violence against African Americans in the country. The McMichaels were charged with murder and aggravated assault last week amid claims they were acting in self-defense, though Arbery’s family is arguing that his killing was a racially-motivated hate crime.

Bottoms was asked about the murder during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, who wanted to know if she thought the McMichaels were only charged because the video appeared.

“I think that’s absolutely the reason that they were charged,” Bottoms answered. “I think, had we not seen that video, I don’t believe that they would be charged, and it’s heartbreaking that it’s 2020 and this was a lynching of an African-American man.”

From there, the mayor went on to say that Arbery’s death was “part of this bigger issue that we are having in this country.”

“With the rhetoric that we hear coming out of the White House in so many ways, I think that many who are prone to being racist are given permission to do it in an overt way that we otherwise would not see in 2020. Because you have to remember, Jake, you know, in cities across this country, even if local leadership fails, there was always the backstop of our Justice Department to step in and make sure people are appropriately prosecuted. But we don’t have that leadership at the top right now. It’s disheartening.”

Watch above, via CNN.