Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is weighing in on President Donald Trump’s use of the U.S. military to “intimidate” Americans amid protests.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, Bowser criticized Trump’s use of the military as she explained why she opted to answer the president’s tweets and threats with the Black Lives Matter mural in Washington, D.C.
She recounted what transpired last Monday during the president’s briefing in the Rose Garden while sharing her opinion on Trump’s use of the military to confront protesters.
“We saw in Washington, D.C., federal forces used in a political stunt to attack peaceful protests,” Bowser said.
She continued, “We saw the American military moved around like toy soldiers around the country to intimidate Americans in Washington, D.C.”
That day, Trump placed an emphasis on dominating the streets of America, while threatening to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy troops into states.
See Bowser’s remarks below:
DC Mayor Bowser discusses why she had "Black Lives Matter" painted on the street that leads to the White House:
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 8, 2020
"The BLM mural is a representation of an expression of our saying no, but also identifying and claiming a part of our city that had been taken over by federal forces." pic.twitter.com/NlFMUX5TRE
Later reports have also revealed the president reportedly wanted 10,000 troops on the streets of Washington, D.C. as reported on IJR.
“The finest military in the world shouldn’t be used in that way and Americans across the country should be scared about that,” Bowser said.
Bowser’s interview follows a barrage of verbal attacks from Trump due to their differences in the handling of protests and military response. Trump has referred to Bowser as “incompetent” and previously pinned one of the tweets to the top of his Twitter page.
Trump’s administration and law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C., came under fire for the tactics used to disperse protesters.
Although the White House and U.S. Park Police previously denied protesters were not tear-gassed while being forcefully dispersed from the street, a USPP spokesperson Sgt. Eduardo Delgado has acknowledged that the pepper balls that were used are a form of tear gas.
On Sunday, Trump confirmed National Guard troops would begin withdrawing from D.C.
