Trump Tells Governors They’re ‘Weak,’ Urges Them to Crack Down on Violent Riots

Trump Tells Governors They’re ‘Weak,’ Urges Them to Crack Down on Violent Riots
President Donald Trump speaks at the CPAC convention in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 29, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Jack Phillips
6/1/2020
Updated:
6/1/2020

President Donald Trump told the governors of states to crack down on violent protesters and rioting across the United States, according to multiple news outlets that published transcripts of the call.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany later told reporters in a briefing at the White House that Trump called on governors to act and use National Guard troops.

“The president has made clear that what we are seeing on America’s streets is unacceptable,” McEnany said. “Violence, looting, anarchy, lawlessness are not to be tolerated.”

Trump, according to the call transcript, called on the governors to “dominate” several times to “take back your streets,” saying that many of them are “weak.”

“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,” the president told the governors.

McEnany told reporters he used the word “dominate” in reference to keeping the peace on streets, not regarding how police and National Guard members should handle protesters.
The vandalized Lake Street/Midtown metro station after a night of protests and violence following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
The vandalized Lake Street/Midtown metro station after a night of protests and violence following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Protests—some of them violent—have persisted nationwide following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis last week. An officer was seen pinning Floyd with his knee on his neck for several minutes.

“Washington was under very good control, but we’re going to have it under much more control,” Trump said. “We’re going to pull in thousands of people.” He said, “We’re going to clamp down very, very strong.”

Elaborating further, the president said the protests are eroding the United States’ standing on the world stage, making it a laughingstock around the world.

“You’re making a mistake because you’re making yourselves look like fools,” he told the governors on the call. “And some have done a great job. But a lot of you, it’s not—it’s not a great day for our country.”

Trump said the violence is coming from radical left elements such as Antifa. Over the weekend, Trump said the United States would label the far-left militant group a terrorist organization.

Rioters destroy a car near the White House in Washington on May 31, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
Rioters destroy a car near the White House in Washington on May 31, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

In the call, Trump was joined by Attorney General William Barr. “We can’t play whack-a-mole,” Barr told the governors.

He then called on them to call up the National Guard, crediting them with deescalating the situation in Minneapolis.

“Philadelphia, you‘d better toughen up. Because what’s going on in Philadelphia, like New York, is terrible. It’s terrible. You’d better toughen—they‘ll never leave. I know you want to say, ’Oh, let’s not call up the Guard, let’s call up 200 people.' You’ve got a big National Guard out there that’s ready to come in and fight like hell. I tell ya, the best, what they did in Minneapolis was incredible,” he said.

His demands come after several days of protests, some of which leading to entire city blocks in ruin. The Associated Press reported that some 4,400 people have been taken into custody in that time frame.

Many small businesses were also targeted by looters and vandals, still reeling from the impacts of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a statement that Trump’s call to action was “deeply disturbing.”

“The president repeatedly and viciously attacked governors, who are doing everything they can to keep the peace while fighting a once-in-a-generation global pandemic,” she said.

Her response was questioned by McEnany, who said she is not sure “why Gov. Whitmer would be dismayed at the president telling governors to do their job.”

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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