Trump Confirms Invoking Insurrection Act Is on the Table

President Donald Trump signaled that he could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the U.S. military if courts continue to block his efforts to use the National Guard for law enforcement duties. The comment came following a federal judge’s decision on Sunday that prohibited him from sending National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, which he blasted as being overrun by  “left-wing domestic terrorists.”

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump was asked under what circumstances he would involve the Act. He replied “we have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” and “I’d do it if it were necessary, but so far it hasn’t been necessary.” He listed conditions including “if people were being killed and courts were holding us up, or mayors or governors were holding us up.”

Some of those conditions have already been met; he’s described Portland was being on fire “for five years” and said “I think that’s all insurrection, really criminal insurrection.”

The Insurrection Act hasn’t been invoked for over 30 years, the last time being during the 1992 Los Angeles race riots.