Trump Turns Blind Eye to Police Abuse While BLM Remains Active

In 2020, the tragic shooting of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police during a misguided raid galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement, echoing the public outcry following the killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. Five years later, the only officer convicted in Taylor's death received a mere three-year federal prison sentence—despite the Department of Justice under President Trump advocating for just a single day. While a judge rejected this leniency, it signals a troubling trend of diminishing police accountability, with numerous actions from the Trump administration reinforcing immunity for abusive officers. Despite this, experts assert that the movement's push for police reform persists, chiefly at the state and local levels where the bulk of accountability resides. Rachel Moren and Thaddeus Johnson highlight that significant outcomes stem from local advocacy, urging communities to engage in reform efforts, such as establishing accountability boards and leveraging social services to promote crime reduction and enhance trust in law enforcement.