Donald Trump to governors during race riots: “You have to dominate!”
During a conference call Monday, Trump berated the state leaders, calling them “weak,” and urged them to “dominate” protesters, according to officials familiar with the president’s remarks. The conference call followed another turbulent night across the nation, as protests that began peacefully exploded into mayhem.
Trump also called on them to take back the streets and use force to confront protesters and said if they did not, they would look like “fools,” alarming several governors on the call as they communicated privately, according to the officials.
“If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time,” Trump said, according to a person on the call.
Demonstrators clashed with police outside the White House for a third consecutive night as the unrest spread from Boston to Sioux Falls, S.D. More than half of the nation’s governors have called in the National Guard to help quell the unrest, and at least 45 million Americans were under a curfew on Sunday night.
In some cities, law enforcement officers were seen marching and kneeling with protesters. But elsewhere, police in riot gear continued to increase their use of force, which added to the disorder. On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) ordered a state investigation after a man was fatally shot during an overnight confrontation with Louisville police and the National Guard.
Some conservative commentators are urging the president to address the nation, but the White House press secretary said Trump is focused on the far-left “antifa” movement that he believes is behind the violence. “A national Oval Office address is not going to stop antifa,” Kayleigh McEnany said.
At this point, we’re basically the ‘States of America.’
HEAR IT: Trump calls state officials “weak,” insists they must dominate, and vows to “clamp down” in DC. pic.twitter.com/ARsIhAvCJe
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) June 1, 2020
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