President Trump said in a short briefing Saturday afternoon that the military is “ready, willing and able” to help stifle the violent and destructive rioters in Minnesota, ahead of another long night that local law enforcement and the Minnesota National Guard are bracing for.
The military could deploy troops to Minneapolis ‘very quickly’ to respond to violent protests, President Trump said, in the aftermath of a police officer killing an unarmed black man. Follow our live updates here https://t.co/NNX1zX404z pic.twitter.com/fctApjHqcs
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 30, 2020
Late last night, Trump alerted the military to prepare for a possible deployment of the military in Minneapolis.
BREAKING: AP reports: Soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York have been ordered to be ready to deploy to Minneapolis within 4 hours if called, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders. https://t.co/oa514uzFqB
— Evan Rosenfeld (@Evan_Rosenfeld) May 30, 2020“When I saw the policemen running out of a police station to be abandoned and taken over, I’ve never seen anything so horrible and stupid in my life,” Trump said during Saturday’s briefing on his way to the SpaceX launch in Florida.
According to the Insurrection Act of 1807, the President has the authority to deploy the military for domestic affairs, especially in response to disasters.
The Minnesota National Guard is also poised to respond tonight in full force, as local leaders have called on protesters to stay home so law enforcement can weed out the “good people from the bad.”
Minnesota Guardsmen are reporting for duty from across the state to be ready to assist local authorities in restoring order and maintaining peace. pic.twitter.com/hHdrFjcVEQ
— MN National Guard (@MNNationalGuard) May 30, 2020
