Rep. Demings slams Trump on racial equity training, protests

“We got to deal with inequality in all things,” she said. “In health care, we see the effects of Covid-19 on Black and brown communities. In education … we know that [the] overwhelming majority of people in our prison systems, for example, are Black and brown, and a majority did not graduate high school. We’ve got to deal with injustices in education, in lending, in housing.”

Asked about the nationwide protests on racism and police brutality, Demings urged peaceful protesting and accountability for looting and violence.

“Our job is to make sure that peaceful protesters are able to exercise their right guaranteed under the First Amendment,” Demings said. “But we also have to make sure that those who break the law, those who exercise violence, regardless of what side of the political aisle that they’re on, must be held accountable.”

Demings slammed Trump for “throwing fire” at protests, agreeing with a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll that most Americans say Trump is making protests and unrest worse.

“While America was going through civil unrest in all 50 states, quite frankly, America was on fire, we had a president, a commander-in-chief, who with us walking around with a gasoline can, not trying to sow peace and calm, but actually throwing fire on an already volatile situation,” Demings said in her interview.

Asked about former Vice President Joe Biden’s response to protesting, she said he was “on the right track.”

“You’ve heard him talk about peaceful protests, but he’s also talked about accountability, regardless of those involved in violence should be held accountable,” Demings said. “He also talked about supporting good police officers as we should all do, but also holding the bad ones accountable. That’s how we’re going to get to the place where we need to get.”