During the speech, Trump dubbed himself “your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters.”
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions 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,” Trump declared.
“Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages or rebellion against authority of United States makes it impracticable to enforce the law of the United States in any State or territory by judicial proceedings, the President may call into Federal service the militia of any State and use the Federal military to enforce the laws or suppress the rebellion,” the code states.
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 generally forbids the use of military forces for law enforcement in states.
Federal territories, such as Washington, D.C., are not covered by Posse Comitatus, which explains why Trump was able to deploy military troops to clear Lafayette Park — which is across the street from the White House — of peaceful protesters Monday just minutes before his Rose Garden speech began at roughly 6:40 p.m., a show of force many decried as a blatant abuse of power.