WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the military police were ready to deploy to Minneapolis amid ongoing protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
“We have our military ready, willing and able if they ever want to call our military. We can have troops on the ground very quickly,” Trump said as he left the White House Saturday afternoon. “They’re using their National Guard right now, as you know.”
“They’ve got to be tough, they’ve got to be strong, they’ve got to be respected,” Trump said, speaking of Minnesota government officials, adding that there were protesters that needed to be “taught” that they “can’t do this.”
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The move would take service members from around the country and prepare them to deploy to Minneapolis if the governor elects to use those resources.
Active-duty forces are normally prohibited from taking part in domestic law enforcement, but the Insurrection Act of 1807 allows for a state legislature or governor to request assistance in the event of civil unrest.
The last time the Insurrection Act was used was in 1992 when California Gov. Pete Wilson requested federal military assistance from President George H.W. Bush during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles.
Protests erupted in Minneapolis and in several cities in the U.S. this week after Floyd, a black man, died when a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin Floyd down on the ground for almost nine minutes after taking him into custody. The incident was caught on multiple cameras and Floyd could be heard pleading with the officer, saying, “I can’t breathe.”
Trump has been critical of Minnesota’s response, calling the Minneapolis mayor “radical” and unprepared to deal with the protests.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday that he would fully mobilize the Minnesota National Guard for the first time since World War II to bring an end to the “wanton destruction” protests that he blamed on protesters from outside the state.
Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, head of Minnesota’s National Guard, said that he was not consulted on Trump’s decision to active the Army but that he thought it was a “prudent move.”
“You may have seen or heard that this evening the president directed the Pentagon to put units of the Untied States Army on alter to possible operation in Minneapolis. While we were not consulted as it relates to that, I do believe it’s a prudent move to provide other options available to the governor if the governor elects to use those resources.”
