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.
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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.
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.
Thank you President Trump.
Thank you, Mr.. President.
You rock.
Evil Demonrats are allowing the mob to do whatever they want, even destroying black people’s property.
Trump is a lot better than our stupid NY mayor who instead of stopping riots chases innocent yiddeshe kinder out of the park.
Pres. Trump does not have the ability to send in the troops unless asked to by the governors of the respective states.
All the trump second amendment supporters are going to get a rude awakening when it is used against them.
Nice to see Cossacks on horseback charge into a totally peaceful demonstration in DC just so he can have a vile photo op at a church.
Good, if the democrat run cities and states won’t restore order the President will.
Remember these protests are only in democrat run cities and states.
Minneapolis is Democrat run, the last Republican mayor left office in 1961this exclude a Republican who was mayor for a day in 1973.
Most of these killings of unarmed black men are in democrat run cities.
I think the National Guard is needed but if they overstep, this will boomerang.
Demoncrat shaydim don’t care about black people. They’re evil bloodsuckers.
Of course he can. He’s commander in chief of the armed forces plus he can nationalize and federalize the National Guard.
He’ll do it.
He’ll stand up for the American people.
We need to end unemployment and govt programs while hiring people to work for the govt and reopen schools . If you want food or money you need to work . Once these people are starving they won’t have time to loot .
Alternatively anyone caught acting violent gets all their programs and unemployment confiscated. They will learn their lesson
300,000,000 million Americans watching Democrats destroy blacks, whites, and civilization.
Reckoning is coming swift and sure.
Trump is the man who will solve this mayhem . He will put and end to the rioting and violence and he will stop POLICE BRUTALITY FOR EVER . TRUMP 2020 !! TRUMP 2020 !! TRUMP FOREVER !!!!!!!
In 1967, Lyndon Johnson sent federal troops to Detroit, to assist law enforcement during a large riot. In 1992, federal troops were sent to L.A. to also assist local law enforcement following a riot.