Jun 02, 2020

🎥 Trump threatens military action to stop protest violence

Posted Jun 02, 2020 12:00 AM
After his Rose Garden statement, President Trump walked in Lafayette Park and held a bible outside St. John's Church across from the White House. Part of the church was set on fire during protests on Sunday night -image courtesy CSPAN
After his Rose Garden statement, President Trump walked in Lafayette Park and held a bible outside St. John's Church across from the White House. Part of the church was set on fire during protests on Sunday night -image courtesy CSPAN

WASHINGTON (AP) —Amid racial unrest across the nation, President Donald Trump on Monday declared himself “the president of law and order” and threatened to deploy the United States military to American cities to quell a rise of violent protests.

As Trump spoke, an incredible TV split screen developed around the White House. While he addressed the nation in the White House’s idyllic Rose Garden, a series of military vehicles rolled out front on Pennsylvania Avenue and military police and law enforcement clashed with protesters at Lafayette Park.

Those peaceful demonstrators were cleared so Trump could walk across the park to St. John’s Episcopal Church, known as “The Church of the Presidents,” which suffered fire damage in a protest this week. Holding a Bible, he then stood with several of his Cabinet members as the cameras clicked.

“We have the greatest country in the world,” Trump declared. “We’re going to keep it safe.”

Trump said he would mobilize “thousands and thousands” of soldiers to keep the peace if governors did not use the National Guard to shut down the protests. Loud tear gas explosions could be heard as authorities moved what appeared to be peaceful protests in the park. The escalation came just after Attorney General William Barr came to the park to to survey the demonstrators.

According to senior defense officials, between 600 and 800 National Guard members from five states were being sent to Washington to provide assistance. Those troops were either already on the ground or will arrive by midnight.

Under the Civil War-era Posse Comitatus Act, federal troops are prohibited from performing domestic law enforcement actions such as making arrests, seizing property or searching people. In extreme cases, however, the president can invoke the Insurrection Act, also from the Civil War, which allows the use of active-duty or National Guard troops for law enforcement.

President Trump stepped to the podium in the White House Rose Garden Monday evening-image courtesy White House
President Trump stepped to the podium in the White House Rose Garden Monday evening-image courtesy White House

The officials said that some of the National Guard in D.C. will be armed and others will not. They said that the D.C. guard members do not have non-lethal weapons. The military police that are visible in the city are members of the Guard.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump threatened to deploy United States military unless states halt violent protests.

Trump said he was recommending that governors deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers to “dominate the streets."

If governors fail to take action, Trump said he will deploy the United States military and “quickly solve the problem for them.”

Trump in his Rose Garden remarks said he would mobilize the U.S. military to end “lawlessness” as police fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House. Trump blamed anarchists and Antifa for fomenting unrest.

Just before Trump was scheduled to speak, police near the White House fire tear gas and deployed flash bangs to disperse the protesters, who appeared to have been demonstrating peacefully. The days of protests were triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air. 

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump delivered Rose Garden remarks Monday evening after deriding the nation’s governors as “weak” and demanding tougher crackdowns on burning and stealing in the aftermath of more violent protests in dozens of American cities.

The President threatened to deploy the United States military unless states halt violent protests.

Just before Trump was scheduled to speak, police near the White House fire tear gas and deployed flash bangs to disperse the protesters, who appeared to have been demonstrating peacefully. The days of protests were triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.