Twitter flags Trump's tweets about protests

As t he Minneapolis Police Department's 3rd precinct building burned early Friday, President Donald Trump l ashed out on Twitter, calling the city's mayor “very weak” and saying that “thugs are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd.”

In a tweet just before 1 a.m ., Trump said he couldn't “stand back & watch this happen to a great American City.”

“A total lack of leadership,” Trump tweeted. “Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National

Guard & get the job done right.”

Trump also sing led out looters, who have damaged multiple businesses over the past few days. An AutoZone store was set on fire Wednesday night and Target announced it was closing more than 20 locations in the area “until further notice” after one store was ransacked.

“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen,” Trump tweeted, adding that he had spoken to Gov. Tim Walz and told him that “the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”

Twitter later put a public interest notice on that tweet.

“This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public' sinterest for the Tweet to remain accessible,” the social media company posted.

At a news conference early Friday, Frey said he was unaware of Trump's tweets and asked a reporter to read them to him.

His response: “Weakness is refusing to take responsibility for your actions. Weakness is pointing your finger at somebody else during a time of crisis,” the mayor said, striking the lectern at one point. “Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis. We are strong as hell. Is this a difficult time period? Yes. But you better be damn sure that we're gonna get through this.”

Trump Friday afternoon appeared to walk back his tweets from overnight, in which he said“when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” The phrase was first used by Miami Police Chief Walter H ed le yin 1967, who threatened a crackdown on “hoodlums” he said were taking advantage of the civil rights movement.