Washington — President Trump is set to deliver remarks and sign an executive order Tuesday addressing policing amid a groundswell of civil unrest and calls for police reform following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other African-Americans in law enforcement custody.
Mr. Trump’s order, previewed by the White House on Monday, is shaped by three key components: credentialing and certifying police departments, boosting information-sharing to better track officers with excessive use-of-force complaints, and creating co-respondent services focused on mental health, drug addiction and homelessness.
How to watch Trump speak and sign the executive order
- What: President Trump delivers remarks and signs an executive order on policing
- Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2020
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: The White House
- Online stream: Live on CBSN – in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device
He told reporters at the White House Monday his “overall goal” for the executive order is law and order.
“We want it done fairly, justly. We want it done safely,” he said. “But we want law and order. This is about law and order, but it’s about justice also.”
A senior administration official told reporters ahead of the unveiling that Mr. Trump is also going to ask Congress to pass legislation and allocate funding to implement the White House’s programs.
The executive order from the White House comes alongside separate efforts on Capitol Hill focused on police reforms.
The Democrat-led House rolled out a sweeping measure last week that aims to ensure officers can be held accountable for misconduct and increase transparency. Their measure bans police chokeholds and no-knock warrants and reforms qualified immunity to make it easier for victims of police misconduct to recover damages when their constitutional rights are violated by police.
The GOP-led Senate is also crafting its own legislative package, spearheaded by Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, that will focus on police reporting, accountability, training and relations.
Floyd’s death on Memorial Day sparked nationwide – and worldwide – protests against police brutality. Momentum behind legislative efforts to reform policing has continued to build in the weeks since.
