![]() ![]() Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “in charge.” As to what Milley was being placed in charge of, Trump offered no detail. Last night’s show of force was preceded earlier in the day with his declaration in a call with governors that he was putting Army Gen. Once the trap was set, the mounted patrols stormed in, and the path was cleared for Trump to make his triumphant march to the church. The aim was to get the maximum number of television cameras and protesters packed into Lafayette Park before Trump made his move. The White House kept announcing the president’s plan to appear all afternoon, repeatedly delaying his event with multiple announcements moving back the time. The whole affair was an intentional provocation with a political purpose. He then reviewed his heavily armed troops who were fresh from the “battlespace,” as Defense Secretary Mark Esper has taken to calling our cities. ![]() Trump portrayed himself as the defender of the faith for his evangelical base in front of the cameras. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo op, complete with a Bible and a house of worship as props. Meanwhile, federal troops violently cleared Washington’s Lafayette Park, making way for the president to stride across the street to St. In a paltry attempt to deflect charges of racism against his government, Trump even had the gall to say he was “fully committed that for George (Floyd) and his family, justice will be served.” As police continued to drag Black people from their cars and beat demonstrators in cities across the country for a seventh night, however, Trump’s claim of being a friend to African Americans and peaceful protest rang hollow. The sounds of flash grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas being fired could be heard in the background at the very moment Trump was on television calling himself “an ally of all peaceful protesters.” As he spoke in the Rose Garden, federal forces were attacking peaceful protesters just outside the gates of the White House. The confusion over what action Trump was actually initiating with his speech was an essential part of the made-for-TV moment the president produced for the nation yesterday. The president did not officially invoke the act in his speech on Monday but made clear he plans to initiate a violent crackdown if Americans don’t stop protesting Floyd’s lynching and police brutality. president to deploy the military against the country’s own citizens is through the 1807 Insurrection Act, a 213-year-old law that could allow him to bypass governors for the purpose of putting down revolts. Trump’s words immediately generated fear as well as uncertainty, as the only legal way for a U.S. Should they fail, however, Trump declared his intention to “take immediate presidential action” by mobilizing the military to “quickly solve the problem.” Demonstrators kneel on Monday, June 1, 2020, in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles during a protest over the death of George Floyd. In the face of a supposed rebellion orchestrated by dangerous enemies within-“Antifa and others”-he ordered governors and mayors to “dominate the streets” with the National Guard and police. In a White House press conference, he sounded like a dictator as he threatened to unleash the army in the streets of America to “quell” demonstrations if state and local authorities don’t crush protesters to his satisfaction. The president’s singling out of enemies and his ominous hints at a move toward military rule have echoes of fascism, however, and suggest a dangerous escalation of his administration’s authoritarianism. policing, but he left out precise details as to exactly what he may be planning. Was he declaring martial law, or was he not? The vagueness of Trump’s “law and order” speech Monday night was calculated to give the appearance of getting tough against those protesting the murder of George Floyd and the systemic racism ingrained in U.S. John's Church, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. President Donald Trump reviews the troops in Lafayette Park after they attacked protesters in Washington's Lafayette Park so he could visit St. ![]()
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