Politico | Donald Trump threatens to end George Floyd protests with military
- He calls himself ‘president of law and order’ as law enforcement forces deploy tear gas against protesters just across from White House
- Trump earlier slammed governors as ‘weak’ and told them to crack down on protests following another night of unrest triggered by death of unarmed black man
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Caitlin Oprysko on politico.com on June 1, 2020.
In a brief statement delivered from the Rose Garden of the White House as law enforcement forces deployed tear gas to clear out protesters just on the opposite side of Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump ordered governors and mayors to establish “an overwhelming law enforcement presence” until the protests have been quelled, and he threatened to send in the US military to “quickly solve the problem for them”.
As Trump spoke, condemning violent protests that arose over the past week following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer’s knee to the neck for nearly nine minutes, police fired rubber bullets at protesters gathered peacefully on the edge of Lafayette Square directly in front of the White House.
After his Rose Garden appearance, the president then walked across the street and through the square for a photo op in front of the historic St John‘s Episcopal Church, which had been damaged after protests the previous night.
What began as peaceful demonstrations in Minneapolis last week descended into violence at times and quickly spread from coast to coast, with protesters setting fire to and looting businesses, and clashing with law enforcement officers dressed in riot gear.