German Chancellor Merkel hopes calm protests unify US

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says US society is "very polarised" while sidestepping questions whether President Donald Trump bears a share of the responsibility

Merkel told ZDF television the killing of George Floyd "is something really, really terrible, racism is something terrible and society in the United States is very polarised." Merkel says her approach to politics is always to try to bring people together. She deflected questions about Trump's role, saying she hopes the US will unify and she's "happy that many are making their contribution to that." Pressed again about Trump, she replied: "I think the political style is a very controversial one, that is clear." Regarding racism, she says "unfortunately we have it here, too. So let's put our own house in order and hope there are also enough people in the United States who carry forward peaceful demonstrations."