Trump Tells Governors They Must ‘Dominate’ With Protest Response and Vows to Order Military Deployment
President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John's Church from the White House on June 1, 2020, in Washington. Trump walked to the church after a Rose Garden speech and police clearing of protesters from outside the White House. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
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STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Los Angeles Metro apologizes for weekend transit shutdown that stranded riders … Pennsylvania governor promises school reopenings … Boston tries to rapidly build out bike lanes.
After police dispersed a peaceful protest from outside the White House with tear gas and rubber bullets, President Trump on Monday pledged to deploy military troops across the country if governors and mayors refuse “to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents.” In terms of protests in Washington, D.C., the president said he was dispatching "thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers.” The evening speech, which Trump delivered from the Rose Garden, came after a video conference earlier in the day with governors. The president advised state leaders that they would look like “fools” unless they crack down on protests in response to the death of a black Minneapolis man while in police custody. "You have to dominate, if you don't dominate you're wasting your time. They're going to run over you. You're going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate," he said. Some governors told Trump that his rhetoric since the death of George Floyd hasn’t been helpful. After the call, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he expressed disagreement with the president. “I said, ‘No one is laughing here. We’re in pain, we’re crying. We saw a man lose his life,” Walz said. The Minnesota governor, a Democrat who served in the Army National Guard for 24 years and mobilized the state’s guard last week, said he added that “force on the ground is both unsustainable militarily, it’s also unsustainable socially, because it’s the antithesis of how we live.” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who like Trump is a Republican, later said he wasn’t surprised by the president’s comments. “At so many times during these past several weeks, when the country needed compassion and leadership the most, it was simply nowhere to be found. Instead we got bitterness, combativeness and self-interest,” Baker said. But West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, also a Republican, told the president that if he is unwelcome in other places he should visit his state, saying "there won't be any disturbance whatsoever." [New York Times; CBS News; CNN]
TRANSIT SHUTDOWN | Los Angeles transit advocates and riders this weekend criticized the shutdown of rail and buses on Saturday night, a response to protests across the city. But this left essential workers without ways to get home, even as police used Metro buses to transport arrested protesters to jail. On Sunday, Metro officials apologized to stranded riders. [Los Angeles Times]
SCHOOLS REOPENING | Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said there is “no question” that the state’s schools will reopen in the fall for in-person learning, although classrooms may have fewer students. The state will also allow camps and childcare centers to gradually reopen this summer. [TribLive]
TOXIC WASTE | Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a federal lawsuit against the owners of a paper mill that closed last year but is accused of continuing to leak toxic waste into the Potomac River. The lawsuit alleges that the owners violated federal law regulating the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste. [Baltimore Sun]
BIKE LANES | Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a plan to quickly build new bike lanes this summer and make other changes to streets so that they can be used for social distancing. The plan also includes expansions to bus stop waiting areas and street closures to allow for outdoor dining at local restaurants. [StreetsBlog]
Laura Maggi is the managing editor of Route Fifty and Emma Coleman is the assistant editor.
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