President Trump said Monday he would deploy the military against protesters if local officials cannot stop violence that has erupted in some areas. "I will fight to protect you — I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters," Mr. Trump said.

While only states can activate the National Guard, Mr. Trump said he would deploy "thousands and thousands" of heavily armed soldiers to Washington D.C. About 200 troops were moved out of Fort Bragg to deploy to the Washington area to be ready on short notice if needed, CBS News' David Martin reported.


"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," Mr. Trump said. "I am also taking swift and decisive action to protect our great capital, Washington, D.C. What happened in the city last night was a total disgrace. As we speak, I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and the wanton destruction of property."

Trump says he's "president of law and order," declares aggressive action on violent protests

Updated on: June 1, 2020 / 8:12 PM / CBS News

President Trump said Monday he would deploy the military against protesters if local officials cannot stop violence that has erupted in some areas. "I will fight to protect you — I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters," Mr. Trump said.

While only states can activate the National Guard, Mr. Trump said he would deploy "thousands and thousands" of heavily armed soldiers to Washington D.C. About 200 troops were moved out of Fort Bragg to deploy to the Washington area to be ready on short notice if needed, CBS News' David Martin reported.

"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," Mr. Trump said. "I am also taking swift and decisive action to protect our great capital, Washington, D.C. What happened in the city last night was a total disgrace. As we speak, I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and the wanton destruction of property."

The president made the announcement amid the back drop of tear gas and flash bangs on the other side of the White House in Lafayette Park. Shortly before the president spoke and declared himself an "ally of peaceful protesters," demonstrators described as peaceful and journalists across from the White House were tear-gassed, clearing the area. After his statement, the president and his staff walked through a cleared-out Lafayette Park and took photos in front of St. John's Church, which was set ablaze Sunday night.

"The perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7 p.m. curfew in the same area where rioters attempted to burn down one of our nation's most historic churches the night before. Protesters were given three warnings by the U.S. Park Police," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

Mr. Trump said he is mobilizing "all available federal resources — civilian and military — to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights."

He vowed that George Floyd, whose death sparked many of the protests nationwide, "will not have died in vain." Mr. Trump then quickly pivoted to ending the violence the streets, saying the nation is under siege by ill-intended actors and listing some of the criminal acts and vandalism that have taken place across the country over the last several days.

"These are not acts of peaceful protest. These are acts of domestic terror," Mr. Trump said.

On Friday night, Mr. Trump was briefly moved to the White House bunker on Friday evening as protests were being held near the White House, a senior administration official confirmed to CBS News. The senior administration official said the action was taken out of an abundance of caution.

Ahead of the president's statement, Attorney General William Barr was spotted walking in Lafayette Park with a security detail, not far from the protesters.
On a call with governors Monday, the president called them "weak" and "fools" for not cracking down harder on the civil unrest gripping their cities.

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