President Barack Obama’s full speech on Trayvon Martin
Jul 19, 2013, 7:03 PM | Updated: 7:45 pm
President Barack Obama surprised both the nation and press corps when he made an impromptu appearance Friday to discuss the Trayvon Martin case.
During his address, Obama said the United States needs to do some “soul-searching” in the wake of a court decision that saw George Zimmerman go free. Thousands have protested the verdict across the country.
The president declined to wade into the detail of legal questions about the Florida case, saying, “Once the jury’s spoken, that’s how our system works.”
But he said state and local laws, such as Florida’s “stand your ground” statute, need a close look.
On the positive side, he said race relations in the United States actually are getting better. Looking at his own daughters and their interactions with friends, the president said, “They’re better than we are. They’re better than we were.”
Watch Obama’s full remarks below.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
