Trump Now Agrees To Withdraw National Guard From DC After Spat With Mayor

President Donald Trump holds at the White House on June 5, 2020. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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President Trump announced in a Sunday morning tweet that he has ordered the National Guard to begin withdrawing from Washington, D.C. as nationwide protests continue in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

Trump’s announcement — which came after his Saturday night tweet thanking the National Guard, Secret Service and D.C. police for doing a “fantastic job” — claimed that “everything is under control” but that the National Guard “can quickly return, if needed.”

The President’s announcement also comes just days after his fiery response to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s letter requesting to withdraw “all extraordinary federal law enforcement and military presence from Washington, D.C.” Bowser wrote in the letter dated June 4 that federal police are “inflaming demonstrators and adding to the grievances of those who, by and large, are peacefully protesting for change and for reforms to the racist and broken systems that are killing Black Americans.”

Trump fired back the following day in a series of tweets by railing against Bowser.

Bowser responded to Trump’s Sunday morning announcement by thanking the Metropolitan Police Department.

Shortly before Trump’s announcement, Bowser said in an interview on ABC News that Trump’s call for the National Guard to “dominate protesters” prompted more people to turn out for peaceful protests.

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Notable Replies

  1. National Guard Will Withdraw From DC

    The prison riot teams will stay, however. Overheard in the situation room: “We think they can learn to goose step”.

  2. Mayor Bowser - 1
    Trump - 0

    No domination.

  3. Remind me how much Trump likes rolling over for a strong black woman again?
    He won’t find a way to decompensate, will he?
    Maybe Michael Tracey can give him advice about retaining some dignity

  4. What Trump does not realize is that peacefully protesting our government is not only our right as American citizens, it is our responsibility. Given that Trump is a 1-trick pony, I expect him to pull this same stunt any time he wants a show of force in the future. At some point, senior military leadership is just going to have to say, with all due respect, sir, I will not follow unlawful orders.

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