Associated Press
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.
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 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.
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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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
5 comments
NoMoTrump
June 1, 2020 at 9:18 pm
So funny to put Donald Trump and law and order in the same sentence. It’s an oxymoron. He’s the worst and most flagrant criminal in the country.
Christopher Kennard
June 1, 2020 at 9:32 pm
The best, most responsible, productive response to Trump is the people’s peaceful progressive “political revolution” utilizing millions of American voters out in the streets, highways and byways of every city, town and community within the USA to dump Trump in the elections or through impeachment . . . either way, so long as he ends up out of the White House and into his new taxpayer paid “home” in a federal or state penitentiary, depending upon who first drags Trump into court to begin paying for his numerous sins against the people of the USA and all humanity.
Reb
June 1, 2020 at 10:05 pm
and Joe Biden and his like are the party of criminals and violence and looting, Trump 2020 and forever!!!!!
Sonja Fitch
June 2, 2020 at 7:30 am
The goptrump cult leader trump is a paranoid delusional racist sexist liar and COWARD! Always about him. Vote out all of the goptrump cult and leader trump!
gary
June 3, 2020 at 4:36 am
GOD BLESS DJT! MAGA2020!
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