Protests in 140+ cities. We’ve never seen anything like this. pic.twitter.com/shA4AwJC9a— Sam Dolnick (@samdolnick) June 1, 2020
So the response is?
Given that the attorney general was just looking this scene over moments before it began, it’s safe to assume the administration wanted this backdrop— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020
No, they wanted to clear the way for the Emperor:
A prelude to the president doing a photo op in front of the church near the White House. https://t.co/ui7IkRhc2d— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020
He says if they don't get it under control, he'll deploy the military and solve the problem for them.— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020
140 cities, with protests in (I'm gonna say) 49 out of 50 states. 20 of those states have already deployed the National Guard. So what's the plan for tomorrow night, Mr. President?
Active duty Army soldiers are now being deployed to Washington DC, roughly 200 Military Police - @CBSDavidMartin reporting— Mary Walsh (@CBSWalsh) June 1, 2020
Wait, maybe they aren't:
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020
And that's just D.C. The 140 other cities; what about them? Meanwhile:
"I am your your president of law and order, and an ally of all peaceful protesters," the president says. Then lists the bad actors he says are taking advantage of the peaceful protesters to riot/loot/create unrest.— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020
How many of those protesters between the White House and the church were engaged in violence when they were hit with tear gas and flash bang grenades?
But first, the real question: is there a plan to deploy troops in all 50 states? It isn't clear there's even a plan to deploy MP's in D.C., even though Trump said "thousands and thousands" of troops would impose order on the city, while the DOD says 250 MP's are coming from Ft. Bragg, but with no mission yet. What's the plan, then? "Get 'em!"?
In a variation on the old military line, belligerence is not a plan, either.
And the hint at Kent State in the title was not an accident. If Trump carries out his threat to invoke "I", he won't be able to say it's the governors' fault when things get worse:
5b. And it's hard to imagine courts second-guessing factual determinations by the President that circumstances warrant use of the military to restore order.— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) May 30, 2020
Instead, the real constraint today might be *responsibility*; if Trump invokes these statutes, he'd own all that follows.
Asked a senior White House official their views on Trump dealing with the current moment.— Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) June 1, 2020
The response was simple, but telling: "He's not handling anything, just typing a bunch of shit on Twitter."
No shit, Sherlock. Whatever happens, the pain will fall on we, the people, and it may be November before we can do anything about it. In the meantime, the caption to this picture says it all:
Yeah, that's very apparent.Trump leaves the Church (apparently without a prayer) pic.twitter.com/azPNeweweL— Alan Rappeport (@arappeport) June 1, 2020
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