Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was kneeling and sobbing for a full minute at the casket of George Floyd during a memorial service in the city, but few are buying into the tears.
In a video that has now been widely circulated on social media, Frey can be seen — while wearing a protective mask against Covid-19 — on his knee beside the casket sobbing during the Thursday ceremony that was attended by high-profile politicians and activists, along with people who actually knew Floyd.
While politicians showing tears in public can be a welcome sight for voters, Frey’s heaving and crying has been seen as little more than crocodile tears on social media, with some calling it a “theatrical performance.”
“Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey weeping uncontrollably at George Floyd’s funeral is one of the weirdest performative things I’ve ever seen a politician do,” one Twitter user wrote.
The display of emotion took place at the same memorial where Reverend Al Sharpton announced an August march in Washington, DC with Floyd’s family to protest police brutality.
The city of Minneapolis has faced some of the most intense protests following the death of Floyd at the hands of former police officer Derek Chauvin — who is now being charged with the murder, along with three other officers for aiding — with a police precinct even being set ablaze last weekend.
Also on rt.com WATCH: DC city workers paint GIANT Black Lives Matter mural on street near WH, BLM calls it ‘performative’The mayor got visibly emotional at a press conference the following day addressing the protests, saying black citizens feeling anger and sadness over Floyd’s death is “not only understandable, it's right — it's a reflection of the truth that our black community has lived.”
“I believe in Minneapolis … I love Minneapolis,” he added, visibly holding back tears.
President Trump, who has frequently blasted the mayor for his handling of protests in his city, called out the mayor for “crying” rather than leading his city.
“Super-liberal mayor, he was crying,” he told Sean Spicer in an interview for Newsmax TV on Wednesday. “It's not nice, but the mayor can't cry in cases like that.”
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