Trump is 'capable of reading' a unifying message -- but it's doubtful he'll mean it: Atlanta mayor

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Monday expressed little confidence that President Donald Trump could unify the nation at a time when the United States faces a triple threat of a recession, a pandemic, and civil unrest.

During an interview on CNN, host Alisyn Camerota asked Bottoms about actions Trump could possibly take to calm nerves and bring the country together.

"What about the debate that we are told is going on in the White House, as to whether or not the president should at this moment make some sort of national statement and call for unity?" she asked. "Would you like to see that?"

"Not if the statement will be similar to the one that he gave during the Charlottesville uprisings, no," she said. "That would not be helpful, unless he is going to speak with unity and respect and reconciliation and reform for our communities, then I don't think that he should make a statement at all."

"Do you think President Trump is capable of making a statement calling for unity?" Camerota asked.

"I think that he is capable of reading one," Bottoms replied.

The mayor went on to say that it would be hard to take any Trump "unity" statements seriously given his past rhetoric.

"If he is going to do what he is prone to do and to speak further hatred and division over our cities, then in the midst of this already untenable situation that we're facing across this country, it would be better if he not said anything at all," she said.

Watch the video below.