Trump Threatens To Use Force Against Protesters If He Wins Reelection, Invoking Insurrection Act Of 1807

President Trump has threatened to use force against demonstrators if he wins a second term in November. In an interview with Fox News host Jeanine Perro scheduled to air Saturday, Trump suggested he would use the Insurrection Act to quell demonstrations on the night of the election if he defeats Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

“We’ll put them down very quickly if they do that. We have the right to do that, we have the power to do that if we want,” Trump told Pirro about the possibility of rioting and demonstrations.

“Look, it’s called insurrection. We just send in and we do it, very easy. I mean, it’s very easy. I’d rather not do that because there’s no reason for it, but if we had to we’d do that and put it down within minutes,” Trump added.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to deploy federal troops to U.S. streets in cases of civil unrest, insurrection and rebellion. Trump previously threatened to invoke the act in June to quell rioting after the death of George Floyd.

“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,” Trump said during a June 1 speech in the Rose Garden.

On June 3, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he did not support invoking the Insurrection Act, with the remarks reportedly angering Trump. There has been speculation that Esper will leave the administration if Trump wins a second term.

The Insurrection Act was last invoked in 1992 under President George H.W. Bush to quell violent protests in Los Angeles after four police officers were acquitted in the Rodney King trial. The act was also invoked in 1989, after there was looting on the U.S. island of Saint Croix following Hurricane Hugo.