Trump says "more white people" killed by police
President Donald Trump downplayed U.S. police violence against Black people on Tuesday (July 15), and instead said quote "more white people" are killed by police officers.
Trump made his allegation during a CBS News interview when asked -- why Black people were still dying at the hands of law enforcement.
He answered: "What a terrible question to ask. So are white people. More white people, by the way. More white people."
The death of African-American George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis have sparked protests across the United States with an increased focus on U.S. police violence against Black people.
Black Americans account for less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, but are killed by police at over twice the rate of white Americans, according to a Washington Post analysis.
The American Civil Liberties Union also put out a statement, calling Trump's comments racist.
Social unrest has also been building about flying the Confederate flag, and whether the statues honouring Confederate leaders during the U.S Civil War, should be taken down.
Some Americans argue that the Black Lives Matter protests unfairly smear the police forces.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, defended police departments, saying they "do an incredible job in this country."
