Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. and the world: Live updates
Vice President Mike Pence declined to utter the words “Black Life Matter” during an interview with an ABC representative in Pennsylvania, instead saying “all lives matter”.
“Let me just say that what happened to George Floyd was a tragedy,” Pence told ABC6 in Philadelphia, when asked directly if he would say Black lives essentially. “And in this nation, especially on June 14, we celebrate the fact that since the founding of this nation, we have nurtured the ideal that we are all, all created equal, and our creator endowed with certain inalienable rights. And so all lives are important in a very real sense. “
“Sorry to put pressure on you, sir,” ABC6 reporter Brian Taff told Pence. “But I’ll notice that you didn’t say those words,“ Black lives matter, ”and there’s an important distinction.People say, of course, all lives are important, but saying the words is a confirmation that Black life also has importance in this country when there seems to be a segment of our society that disagrees. So why don’t you say those words? “
Pence responded, “Well, I don’t accept the fact that there is a segment of American society that disagrees on the value and importance of every human life. And that’s one of the reasons why as we progress on important law enforcement reforms, we look for ways to strengthen and improve of our inner cities, we will not stop there. ”
Pence referred to the pre-pandemic unemployment rate and the development of economic “opportunity zones”, adding that the administration is “absolutely determined to improve” the lives of African Americans.
“Yet, one last time, you won’t say the words and we understand your explanation,” Taff replied.
Pence was also asked about a video that President Donald Trump posted on Twitter on Thursday that the social network labeled as “manipulated media”.
“When you look at most of the national media,” Pence replied, “they seem to focus more every day on what divides us in this country. And I think the president saw an opportunity with a good sense of humor to challenge the media narrative once again. ”
Earlier, spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said during a White House briefing that Trump, when he tweeted the video, made a “satirical point that was pretty funny.”
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