The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘President of law and order’
● Trump threatens to deploy military to halt ongoing protests across nation
Donald Trump has described himself as the “president of law and order” as he threatened to deploy the military if state governors did not halt ongoing violent protests across the United States.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Mr Trump said: “First, we are ending the riots and lawlessness that has spread throughout our country. We will end it now.
“Today I have recommended to every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets.
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are 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.”
There have been six straight days of unrest set off by the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis, with curfews now imposed in New York City and Los Angeles due to a coast-to-coast outpouring of rage over police killings of black people.
Earlier on Monday, a medical examiner classified Mr Floyd’s death as a homicide, saying his heart stopped as police restrained him and suppressed his neck. A Minneapolis police officer has been charged with third-degree murder in Mr Floyd’s death, and three other officers have been fired.
Minutes before Mr Trump began speaking, police and National Guard soldiers began aggressively forcing back hundreds of peaceful protesters who had gathered in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, where they were chanting against police brutality and Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
As Mr Trump spoke, tear gas canisters could be heard exploding.
The scene in and around the White House on Monday night appeared to be carefully orchestrated.
As the crowd of protesters grew, US attorney general William Barr arrived in Lafayette Park to inspect the demonstrations and the swarm of law enforcement.
The sudden shift in tactics against the protesters was initially a mystery.
Then, after finishing his Rose Garden remarks, Mr Trump emerged from the White House gates and walked through the park to St John’s Church, where an office had been set on fire the previous night. Mr Trump, who rarely attends church, held up a Bible and gathered a group of advisers to pose for photos.
The moment was quickly decried by Mr Trump’s critics, with New York governor Andrew Cuomo saying the president “used the military to push out a peaceful protest so he could have a photo op at a church”.
“It’s all just a reality TV show for this president,” he said on Twitter. “Shameful.”