Texas Lieutenant Governor Says America Must 'Turn to God' to End Racism Amid George Floyd Protests

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said Wednesday the country must "turn to God" to start the healing process after George Floyd's death and begin combating the racism within American culture.

Floyd's death while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 has inspired a wave of protests across the country, many of which turned into riots that triggered more than 40 cities to initiate curfews by the start of this week.

Patrick discussed the protests during an appearance on Fox News Wednesday evening, during which he said religion was necessary to bring about change in America's racism problem.

"We've got a lot of healing to do, and we can't do it unless we turn to God—and we need to do that now more than ever," Patrick said. "I'm not trying to preach. I just know that's the truth."

According to Patrick, the American left is responsible for driving religion out of the country's cultural fabric. "We have a country where we've been working really hard, particularly on the left, to kick God out," he said. "You cannot change the culture of a country until you change the character of mankind, and you can't change that unless you change the heart. And for billions of us on the planet, we believe you can't do that unless you accept Jesus Christ or unless you accept God.

"God has been left out of the equation for all of this," Patrick said. "You cannot heal through commissions and blue-ribbon panels and more laws. We can only heal ourselves if we really reach out and love one another."

The lieutenant governor said he disagreed with the "defund police" movements that have gained traction among some protesters since Floyd's death. He said most police in the U.S. were "extraordinary," and it was the "bad officers" like those involved in the incident with Floyd that should be removed from the system.

While Patrick suggested turning to religion as a way to address systemic racism, other politicians have voiced their support for reviewing policing tactics to gauge the extent to which racism exists within each police department. In Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday announced an investigation into the last 10 years of practices and procedures at the Minneapolis Police Department in response to Floyd's death. On Wednesday, former President Barack Obama recommended every mayor review their local policing procedures and be open to community suggestions for reform.

As leaders around the country struggle to decide how best to address the protests and move forward with policing strategies, Patrick said he believed the country was in agreement about Floyd. "The crime against George Floyd, in my view, was a crime against all black America and against humanity," Patrick said.

"You've got to love God to love people," he said. "We have to come together to solve these problems."

Patrick's office did not respond to Newsweek's request for further comment in time for publication.