In cities across the country, protests turned violent as local authorities called for calm.
President Donald Trump reacted to the protests and incidents of vandalism and violence ripping through several American cities by threatening to invoke the power of the federal government and the military, tossing the equivalent of a lighted match into a national uproar over an African-American man’s death at the hands of police.
“Crossing State lines to incite violence is a FEDERAL CRIME!” Trump tweeted on Saturday afternoon. “Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests.”
Mayors have been sharply critical of Trump’s leadership amid the burgeoning crisis that has now spread to some two dozen cities, accusing him of deepening America’s divides. “There’s been an uptick in tension and hatred and division since [Trump] came along,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a news conference on Saturday. “It’s just a fact.” Continue reading.