Eagles safety Malcom Jenkins isn’t one to keep his opinions to himself.
Jenkins was one of many NFL players who visibly protested during the playing of the national anthem, raising his fist in protest before many Eagles games this season.
On Thursday, Jenkins took to Twitter to blast President Trump for signing an executive order that seeks to increase penalties for those who commit violence against state and federal police, but makes no mention of those killed by law enforcement.
Not sure if ya'll are paying attention or not but @POTUS just signed 3 executive orders that sound a lot like "the war on drugs and crime"
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) February 9, 2017
I appreciate the concern for our law enforcement and believe we must protect them. But....
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) February 9, 2017
how do you ignore the 968 lives lost at the hands of law enforcement? You can support the Police and hold them accountable simultaneously...
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) February 9, 2017
The effect that the War on Crime and the War on Drugs had on minority communities ( especially black people) have been well documented
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) February 9, 2017
We aint going back...
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) February 9, 2017
Jenkins also responded to a follower who complained the Eagles saftey should keep the politics out of football.
Naaaahhhh I'm good... feel free to turn the channel tho 🙃 https://t.co/q0KasmwSYn
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) February 9, 2017
Trump signed three executive orders into law on Thursday during a formal ceremony to appoint Jeff Sessions as the country’s next attorney general.
One of the orders seeks to “define new federal crimes, and increase penalties for existing federal crimes, in order to prevent violence” against state and federal police. In 2016, 135 police officers were killed in the U.S., a five-year high, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
During that same time, 963 people were shot and killed by police officers, according to the Washington Post. That is down slightly from the 991 people fatally shot by police in 2015.
The other two executive orders Trump signed on Thursday ask for the creation of a task force to reduce violent crime and order the Department of Homeland Security to “break the back of criminal cartels.”
“I am directing the Department of Justice to reduce crimes and crimes of violence against law enforcement officers,” Trump said. “It’s a shame, what has been happening to our great, our truly great, law enforcement officers. That is going to stop today.”
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