Obama applauds dancing police officer
President Obama has come under fire for supporting Black Lives Matter, a movement critical of the way police officers treat African Americans, but the president on Thursday used Twitter to highlight the sort of policing he supports.
The president linked to an article about a Washington, D.C. police officer who broke up a group of loitering teens by competing in a dance off with a girl.
Since Mr. Obama has used his executive authority to usher in nationwide policing reforms, such as standardizing the way the federal government distributes military equipment to police. He's also called on Congress to implement further reforms.
At a White House forum last week, Mr. Obama defended Black Lives Matter, remarking that "what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that's happening in the African-American community that's not happening in other communities." At the same time, he said people should "understand the overwhelming majority of law enforcement's doing the right thing and wants to do the right thing."
Speaking to the International Association of Chiefs of Police earlier this week, the president also expressed sympathy for the scrutiny that falls on officers. "Too often, law enforcement gets scapegoated for the broader failures of our society and criminal justice system. I know that you do your jobs with distinction no matter the challenges you face. That's part of wearing the badge," he said.
Even so, Mr. Obama has come under fire from conservatives who feel he has been too harsh on police officers. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has played up his experience as a prosecutor in the 2016 presidential race, has come down especially hard on him. On CBS' "Face the Nation," Christie said the president encourages "lawlessness" by supporting Black Lives Matter.
