Ex-Charlottesville mayor: Trump saw Floyd death, rioting as ‘an opportunity’

The former mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, said President Donald Trump’s comments and actions after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month were shocking, but not surprising.

Shortly after counterprotester Heather Heyer was killed and dozens injured during clashes on Aug. 12, 2017, between white nationalists and counterprotesters, then-Mayor Michael Signer said Trump’s “very fine people on both sides” characterization inflamed an already tense city.

In the days after Floyd’s death, Trump called the protesters “thugs” and attacked Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as “weak” and “radical.”

Signer said Trump’s reaction to the racial violence and tensions in Minneapolis and Charlottesville was identical.

“This was a pattern. He sees these tragedies as opportunities in a playbook he has used,” Signer said.

He said Trump uses “inflammatory white nationalism to play to his base voters, who are scattered around in only a very small number of states that make sense for his Electoral College strategy.”

Signer believes Trump was more focused on politics than compassion.

“He painted what was happening in the city as just one new chapter in a culture war that he was on top of, and he did that all right away,” Signer said. “It was clear he wasn’t consulting quietly with the city’s leaders to find out what they actually need — it was clear that, instead, Minneapolis was an opportunity.”

On Monday, Trump said he would authorize the U.S. military to quell violent and destructive protests around the country.

“I am mobilizing all federal and local resources, civilian and military, to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans,” Trump said Monday in the Rose Garden. “I am also taking swift and decisive action to protect our great capital, Washington, D.C. What happened in this city last night was a total disgrace.”

Asked who should be responsible for protecting people and property, Signer said, “Yeah, that’s the job of the National Guard.”

Signer said Trump’s decision to bring the U.S. military into an already traumatic situation is counterproductive, and it’s only “attacking by inflaming, by dividing, by throwing fuel on this entire situation.”

“If you care about how a constitutional democracy works, you care about results, you care about policy. It’s a little boring, but we could use a little bit more boring today,” Signer said.

He likened Trump’s reaction to the turmoil in Minneapolis to his handling of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

“You want public health experts; you want science; you want facts; you want solving problems. You don’t want everything politicized, everything being divisive, everything being about a culture war, everything being about what makes for the best tweet.”

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

Protester holds sign in DC
Demonstrators protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
Rain falls over a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd near Lafayette Park and the White House, on June 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
Demonstrators protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the fence line of Lafayette Park and the White House, on June 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
America Protests Washington
Demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Protesters in rain in DC
In pouring rain, demonstrators protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd near Lafayette Park and the White House, on June 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Americas Protests In Washington
Demonstrators protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Protesters in the rain
Demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Protesters in the rain in Washington
Demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Protesters at White House gate
Demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Protesters chant in the rain
Demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Utah National Guard soldiers stand on a police line as demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
Demonstrators peacefully protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the Lincoln Memorial, on June 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
A woman addresses a crowd gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial to protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Win McNamee)
Demonstrators protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Protestors gather near the Capitol building in D.C. (Shannon Finney)
Photographers pose near the Capitol building in D.C. during the seventh day of protests in the city. (Shannon Finney)
Black Lives Matter protests filled the D.C. streets Thursday, the seventh day of protesting after the death of George Floyd. (Shannon Finney)
A protestor in D.C. holds up a sign recognizing Breonna Taylor, who was killed in March by police in Louisville. (Shannon Finney)
A man holds up a sign recognizing the amount of time officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd, killing him in Minneapolis last week. (Shannon Finney)
A man holds up a sign while riding a bicycle near the Washington Monument on Day 7 of protests in D.C. (Shannon Finney)
Protests continued Thursday, with many people holding “Black Lives Matter” signs in the streets of D.C. (Shannon Finney)
A man walks his dog with a “Black Lives Matter” sign around its collar. (Shannon Finney)
“I can’t breath.” “Black Lives Matter.” Many signs bearing these phrases were held during Day 7 of protests in D.C. (Shannon Finney)
A man walks on a D.C. street holding a sign during Day 7 of protests. (Shannon Finney)
A large crowd assembles in D.C. on Day 7 of protests. (Shannon Finney)
A man carries an upside down American flag during Day 7 of protests in D.C. (Shannon Finney)
A military vehicle seen on the streets of D.C. during Day 7 of protests. (Shannon Finney)
More military presence near the National Museum of African American History and Culture. (Shannon Finney)
While making their way to their posts for the day, members of an airborne military unit tasked with crowd control move up 15th Street outside the U.S. Treasury Building June 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Win McNamee)
Demonstrators walk past the Washington Monument as they protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Demonstrators walk as they protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Demonstrators protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Alex Brandon)
DNC chair Tom Perez, right, joins demonstrators protesting Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Alex Brandon)
A worker cleans graffiti following several nights of protests Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
With the White House in the background, Hengameh Pourkarim, an ICU nurse, joins demonstrators as people gather to protest the death of George Floyd, Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Demonstrators protest Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Protesters gather in Friendship Heights near the border of Maryland and D.C. on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (WTOP/Colleen Kelleher)
Senate Democrats, including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), take a knee as they participate in a moment of silence to honor George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol on June 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Sarah Silbiger)
Standing near a statue of Frederick Douglass, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., left, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., center, and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., right, pause during a prayer Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2020, during an event to commemorate the life of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Susan Walsh)
Democratic Senators pause for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2020, to commemorate the life of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Susan Walsh)
Protesters gather in Friendship Heights near the border of Maryland and D.C. on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (WTOP/Colleen Kelleher)
Protesters gather in Friendship Heights near the border of Maryland and D.C. on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (WTOP/Colleen Kelleher)
Protesters gather in Friendship Heights near the border of Maryland and D.C. on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (WTOP/Colleen Kelleher)
Protesters gather in Friendship Heights near the border of Maryland and D.C. on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (WTOP/Colleen Kelleher)
Protesters gather in Friendship Heights near the border of Maryland and D.C. on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (WTOP/Colleen Kelleher)
Projected text reading “Respect existence or expect resistance” is seen on a facade of a building for the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis on June 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/Anadolu Agency)
Projected text reading “Demilitarize the police” is seen on an army vehicle on June 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Anadolu Agency)
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Protester holds sign in DC
Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
America Protests Washington
Protesters in rain in DC
Americas Protests In Washington
Protesters in the rain
Protesters in the rain in Washington
Protesters at White House gate
Protesters chant in the rain
Protesters Demonstrate In D.C. Against Death Of George Floyd By Police Officer In Minneapolis
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