'I Am the President of Law and Order’: Trump Warns of Military Action as Protests Are Forcibly Dispersed Outside White House
By CHRIS SOMMERFELDT
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
JUN 01, 2020 | 8:01 PM
President Trump promised a forceful response to violent protests across the country on Monday and threatened to deploy U.S. military forces if cities and states fail to contain demonstrations touched off by the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
As flash-bang grenades and tear gas canisters could be heard going off at a chaotic protest just blocks from the White House, Trump walked into the Rose Garden and said he had recommended earlier in the day that all 50 governors activate National Guard troops in their states.
“If the city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary," Trump said, “then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."
He added, “I am the president of law and order.”
Trump did not cite what authority would allow him to deploy armed forces within the U.S. It’s highly unlikely that he would be able to do so without congressional authorization.
The president did not lay out a plan for how to combat police brutality in the U.S. as part of his short speech.
But he did offer some condolences for the family of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for just under nine minutes despite the desperate cries that he could not breathe.
“All Americans are rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd,” Trump said. “But we cannot allow the righteous prize and peaceful protesters to be drowned out by an angry mob.”
Without taking any questions, Trump left the Rose Garden after saying he would go and pay his “respects to a very, very special place,” prompting confusion among the assembled reporters.
Minutes later, Trump appeared again.
Flanked by Attorney General William Barr, other cabinet members and a phalanx of Secret Service agents, Trump exited the White House grounds to appear for a photo op outside St. John’s Church, which had been damaged in the previous night’s protests.
To get there, Trump had to cross Lafayette Park, which just minutes earlier had been packed with protesters, who were removed by military police firing tear gas to make way for the president.
“We have a great country,” Trump said, standing outside the boarded-up church with a bible in his hand as protesters, helicopters and more explosions could be heard in the distance. “It won’t take long. It’s not going to take long to see what is going on. It’s coming back, and it’s coming back strong. It will be greater than ever before.”
Democrats were disgusted by Trump’s military deployment threat and subsequent Bible-thumping church stunt.
“Rather than acknowledge that frustration and seek to soothe tensions, President Trump — from the Rose Garden no less — threatened to deploy armed soldiers,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), "and allowed tear gas to be fired on peaceful protesters so he could walk across the street for a photo op. This is disgusting, and as far from the ‘rule of law’ and the Constitution as it gets.”
Protests expand globally as London, Berlin join U.S. cities in wake of George Floyd's death
Violent protests have broken out across the country over Floyd’s caught-on-camera death, prompting many cities, including the Big Apple, to impose mandatory curfews on top of social distancing directives already in place because of the coronavirus.
Before his Rose Garden appearance, Trump suggested on a combative conference call with the nation’s governors that curfews weren’t enough and that they needed to activate National Guard forces.
“You have to dominate or you’ll look like a bunch of jerks,” Trump fumed at the governors on the call, recordings of which were quickly leaked. “If you don’t put it down, it will get worse and worse. The only time it’s successful is when you’re weak and most of you are weak."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
JUN 01, 2020 | 8:01 PM
President Trump promised a forceful response to violent protests across the country on Monday and threatened to deploy U.S. military forces if cities and states fail to contain demonstrations touched off by the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
As flash-bang grenades and tear gas canisters could be heard going off at a chaotic protest just blocks from the White House, Trump walked into the Rose Garden and said he had recommended earlier in the day that all 50 governors activate National Guard troops in their states.
“If the city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary," Trump said, “then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."
He added, “I am the president of law and order.”
Trump did not cite what authority would allow him to deploy armed forces within the U.S. It’s highly unlikely that he would be able to do so without congressional authorization.
The president did not lay out a plan for how to combat police brutality in the U.S. as part of his short speech.
But he did offer some condolences for the family of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for just under nine minutes despite the desperate cries that he could not breathe.
“All Americans are rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd,” Trump said. “But we cannot allow the righteous prize and peaceful protesters to be drowned out by an angry mob.”
Without taking any questions, Trump left the Rose Garden after saying he would go and pay his “respects to a very, very special place,” prompting confusion among the assembled reporters.
Minutes later, Trump appeared again.
Flanked by Attorney General William Barr, other cabinet members and a phalanx of Secret Service agents, Trump exited the White House grounds to appear for a photo op outside St. John’s Church, which had been damaged in the previous night’s protests.
To get there, Trump had to cross Lafayette Park, which just minutes earlier had been packed with protesters, who were removed by military police firing tear gas to make way for the president.
“We have a great country,” Trump said, standing outside the boarded-up church with a bible in his hand as protesters, helicopters and more explosions could be heard in the distance. “It won’t take long. It’s not going to take long to see what is going on. It’s coming back, and it’s coming back strong. It will be greater than ever before.”
Democrats were disgusted by Trump’s military deployment threat and subsequent Bible-thumping church stunt.
“Rather than acknowledge that frustration and seek to soothe tensions, President Trump — from the Rose Garden no less — threatened to deploy armed soldiers,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), "and allowed tear gas to be fired on peaceful protesters so he could walk across the street for a photo op. This is disgusting, and as far from the ‘rule of law’ and the Constitution as it gets.”
Protests expand globally as London, Berlin join U.S. cities in wake of George Floyd's death
Violent protests have broken out across the country over Floyd’s caught-on-camera death, prompting many cities, including the Big Apple, to impose mandatory curfews on top of social distancing directives already in place because of the coronavirus.
Before his Rose Garden appearance, Trump suggested on a combative conference call with the nation’s governors that curfews weren’t enough and that they needed to activate National Guard forces.
“You have to dominate or you’ll look like a bunch of jerks,” Trump fumed at the governors on the call, recordings of which were quickly leaked. “If you don’t put it down, it will get worse and worse. The only time it’s successful is when you’re weak and most of you are weak."
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