President Trump announced that he would invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 law to halt the protests that have erupted around the country following the murder of George Floyd and employ active military to police the streets.
On Monday, June 1, during a public statement from the Rose Garden at the White House, Trump stated, “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.”
“I am 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,” Trump said.
It also isn’t extremely clear whether or not states must request troops in order for this to happen, with one section stating that the president can deploy troops “whenever” he considers unlawful obstructions and another section stating, “”[T]he President may, upon the request of its legislature or of its governor if the legislature cannot be convened, call into Federal service such of the militia.”
Despite these details, Trump is confident that it is within his right to use military force on protesters.
