The peaceful protests mourning the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd have been hijacked by criminals and the resulting violence must stop, Sen. John Barrasso said Tuesday.
Barrasso, appearing on FOX News, said he was “heartbroken” after watching the video of Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
But that doesn’t excuse the violence and looting happening all across the nation, he said.
“These violent criminals responsible for the wanton destruction, the rioting, and the looting have no respect for the law,” he said. “These are people who are trying to undermine the nation.”
Barrasso said the violent actions must stop and there should be no tolerance for the behavior.
When asked if he thought the people of Wyoming would support their taxpayer dollars going toward fixing the damage in Minneapolis, New York, or in other cities, Barrasso said he felt there would be more support for jailing the offenders.
“If the president needs to help to make sure that the mayors and the governors have what they need in terms of national guard or military support to put this violent element off the streets, then the people of Wyoming are prepared to pay for that,” he said.
