Atlanta mayor on Trump's response

Atlanta mayor on Trump's response to protests: "He's not helping. Leaders lead, and he is not leading"

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms stepped into the national spotlight on Friday night, denouncing vandalism in her city following demonstrations over the death of George Floyd. 

Speaking to CNN on Monday morning, the mayor urged President Trump to refrain from giving his “input” on the protests and instead give the states “support." 

“He's not helping. Leaders lead and he is not leading. He is causing further disruption to our cities. Just give us the support that we ask for. If we don't ask for it, we don't need your input and your advice and your rhetoric because it's not helping us manage this crisis in our cities that we're experiencing across America,” the mayor told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota.

The mayor said she would support the President making some sort of national statement and call for unity if it could “help heal” the country and was a message of reconciliation. 

“If there is something that he has to say that can help heal this country, then he's the president of the United States and he certainly has the right to speak it,” the mayor said. 

She added that if the President were to speak “further hatred and division over our cities” he should not say “anything at all.”