Donald Trump threatens to deploy National Guard in San Francisco: “Remember, I can use the Insurrection Act”
Donald Trump threatened, during a televised interview broadcast on Sunday, October 19, that he would send National Guard troops to San Francisco (west), as he did in other large American cities led by Democrats, according to AFP.
Trump reiterated the threat that he could resort to the state of emergency. PHOTO EPA EFE
“We're going to San Francisco,” the American president answered a journalist from Fox News who asked him if the Californian city is next on his list, notes Agerpres, citing the two sources.
Since returning to power, Trump has sent troops to Los Angeles, Washington and Memphis, against the advice of local Democratic authorities, to fight, he claims, illegal immigration and crime, actions harshly criticized by the opposition.
The judges, however, suspended the troop deployments in Chicago and Portland, arguing that there is a lack of credible evidence justifying such a measure.
“The difference (with Chicago) is that in San Francisco, they want us“, assured the Republican president on Sunday, without elaborating what he meant by that.
San Francisco-based IT giant Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently said he believes the military should be deployed in the city, but Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie and other local officials have voiced opposition to such a move.
State of emergency threats
Benioff later retracted his statement and apologized.
The American president also reiterated on Sunday the threat that he could resort to the state of emergency to continue these developments, which were criticized by the opposition and civil rights organizations.
“Remember, I can use the Insurrection Act,” he said, referring to an old set of laws authorizing the use of armed forces against American citizens.
The National Guard, reservists of the army, are trained to intervene in natural disaster situations, but they can also fight abroad.
In late September, Donald Trump told US generals and admirals that “some of these dangerous cities” could be used “as training grounds” for the military.
