In the wake of more violent protests and demonstrations in dozens of American cities over the weekend in response to the murder of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, by law enforcement, Donald Trump has continued to recommend the forceful suppression of protestors in a video teleconference with law enforcement and national security officials on Monday.
President Trump, who was hiding out in the White House bunker as protesting came to the White House doors, delivered a message to the country’s governors as unrest continues. “Most of you are weak,” Trump reportedly told governors, “You have to arrest people.”
He added, “You’ve got to arrest people, you have to track people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you’ll never see this stuff again. We’re doing it in Washington, D.C. We’re going to do something that people haven’t seen before."
Trump urged governors to call up the National Guard, which helped calm the situation in Minneapolis Sunday night. Trump told governors they were making themselves “look like fools” for not using the National Guard to suppress the protestors. Attorney General Bill Barr was also on the call and informed governors a terrorist task force would be used to track protestors.
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Trump has previously stated he is not afraid to use force against his own citizens, referencing on multiple occasions that violence would be used to squash the organizing. Just last week, Trump took to Twitter with some very chilling commentary, writing, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” in response to the Minneapolis protest. Over the weekend, Trump also tweeted that if protestors were to enter the White House grounds, they would be met with “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons."
