US President Donald Trump threatens to deploy military force as violent Black Lives Matter protests continue. These demonstrations were rooted in the police killing of George Floyd and issues of racism in the US.
“I am mobilizing all federal and local resources, civilian and military, to protect the rights of law abiding Americans,” Trump said during a hastily arranged address at the White House.
“Today I have strongly recommended to every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets. Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming presence until the violence is quelled,” Trump said.
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” said the president.
Decisive action
Trump did not completely invoke the Insurrection Act, an old law from 1807 that would authorize Trump to deploy active-duty U.S. troops to quell demonstrations in cities across the US.
“At this time, the president has not enacted the Insurrection Act,” a senior Defense Department official told CNBC. “I refer you to the White House for more.”
During his speech, Trump emphasized he was taking “swift and decisive action to protect our great capital, Washington DC." He described the violence that took place in the city as a "total disgrace.”
“As we speak, I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and the wanton destruction of property," he said.
Meanwhile, riot police and military police outside the White House were applying tear gas to keep protesters out of Lafayette Square, a public square across the president’s residence.
After giving his remarks, Trump left the White House and went to the square. Observers believe the riot police cleared the square for the president.
Upon arriving at the far side of the square, Trump lifted a bible in front of St. John’s Church. Protesters set the church on fire the night before.
However, the president did not attempt to engage with any of the protesters.
Trump’s statements came after a weekend where he told demonstrators outside the gates of the White House that there would be “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons.”
"You have to dominate"
On Monday, Trump had a teleconference with governors. He scolded them for not using tougher strategies to tame the protests that were sparked by the killing of Floyd, 46, an unarmed black man.
“You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate you’re wasting your time. They’re going to run over you. You’re going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate,” the president told governors.
Blaming governors for the racial unrest in their states, Trump told them to deploy more National Guard units. He mentioned the need for 10 year-prison sentences for violent protesters.
“The only time [violent protests are] successful is when you’re weak. And most of you are weak,” Trump can be heard saying on the audio tape.
Trump also said he was assigning the nation’s highest-ranking military officer “in charge.”
“General Milley is here who’s head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, a fighter, a warrior, and a lot of victories and no losses. And he hates to see the way it’s being handled in the various states. And I’ve just put him in charge,” Trump said.
“The chairman will continue to advise the secretary of Defense,” Pentagon spokesperson U.S. Army Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell said during an interview with CNBC.
