Minnesota GOP chairwoman calls for governor, Minneapolis mayor to resign: They've 'completely failed'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republican Party of Minnesota Chair Jennifer Carnahan is calling for Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, to resign amid the violent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
“We’ve watched for over a week as our governor of Minnesota and the Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey completely failed all the residents and citizens of Minneapolis and Minnesota,” Carnahan told “Fox & Friends First” on Tuesday, adding that the two have been “playing political games.”
She went on to say that “it was unfortunate to see because it took three nights of full chaos, destruction of our city, burning down of a police precinct, rioting of businesses before they did anything and then their actions were very light and still contributed to continued chaos in Minneapolis.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Protests were sparked by the May 25 death of Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died in police custody May 25 after an officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes in a moment caught on cellphone video. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was fired from the force and has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the case. Crowds across the nation have seized on the racially charged incident to demand justice, but the protests have devolved into riots in many cities, culminating in days of carnage.
Widespread looting, vandalism and arson were witnessed throughout Minneapolis, with similar unrest in neighboring St. Paul, the state capital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Saturday, Walz, who has been hammered by residents, critics and the press for his response to the crisis in Minnesota, announced he has authorized "full mobilization" of the state's National Guard.
When asked what she thinks could have been done better, Carnahan said, “I think swift and decisive action from a leadership level needed to be taken right away.”
She pointed out that “it took multiple nights” before the National Guard was activated in the state.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Monday, Walz said, “This is about social trust, social compact and reestablishing faith in the people who are there to serve them… A posture of a force on the ground is both unsustainable militarily, it’s also unsustainable socially because it’s the antithesis of how we live.”
Host Rob Schmitt noted that according to Fox News Channel tracking, more than 308 businesses have been damaged and more than 481 protesters arrested in Minnesota since Friday.
Carnahan noted that Walz and Frey eventually got “their act together,” but added that “it was too little too late.”
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“It shouldn’t take three or four days of a city burning to finally take action,” she said. “This is irreparable damage that will take months and months if not years to rebuild.”