Eric Trump called Black Lives Matter protesters 'animals' and blamed them for burning down churches in a speech at Donald Trump's Tulsa rally

• Eric Trump, at the presidential campaign rally on Saturday, described protesters involved in anti-racism demonstrations as "animals."
• "We're going to keep the moral fabric of this country," he told supporters. "Because when you watch the nonsense on TV, when you see these animals literally taking over our cities, burning down churches, this isn't America. That's not what Americans do."
• Critics denounced the remarks as racist.
• The president has repeatedly sought to blame the protests on far-left agitators, and in a tweet, quoted a 1960s police chief whose racist policies started riots in Miami.

Eric Trump described protesters involved in anti-racism demonstrations as "animals" in remarks before his father, President Donald Trump's, appearance at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday.

"We're going to keep the moral fabric of this country," he told supporters. "Because when you watch the nonsense on TV, when you see these animals literally taking over our cities, burning down churches, this isn't America. That's not what Americans do."

It's unclear what incidents Eric Trump, an executive in the Trump Organization, was referring to.

He went on to claim that his father, if elected to a second term, would protect the greeting "Merry Christmas," which right-wing activists have long groundlessly claimed liberals are plotting to abolish.

"We are going to say 'Merry Christmas', which is totally under assault," he said.

Mass demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement have swept the US following the death of Black man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. In protests outside the White House demonstrators in early June clashed with police, dumpsters were torched, and the St. John's Episcopal Church sustained fire damage.

President Trump later staged a photo-op outside the church, with DC police clearing peaceful protesters with tear gas to make way for the president.

On Twitter, critics denounced Eric Trump's comments as racist. Others defended him, claiming he was referring to protesters who engaged in looting and violence.

The Trump campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Eric Trump's remarks.

His remarks echoed his father's characterization of the protests as led by far-left radicals, bent on causing chaos.

President Trump has expressed support for peaceful protesters, but has done little to acknowledge concerns about police racism and brutality that have motivated the demonstrations. His calls for "law and order" and encouragement of police violence have alienated even some of his own campaign officials, according to reports, who believe the president's reaction to the protests is among the factors behind his slide in the polls.

After protests swept Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, Trump attracted widespread criticism for quoting a police chief who's policies sparked race riots in 1960s Miami threatening police violence against demonstrators.

"When the looting starts, the shooting starts," tweeted the president.