Leaders Must Unite Against Violence

Mayors need to ignore Trump’s abrasive comments and let the feds help end rioting.

By Donald Jeffries

As looting, destruction of property, and wanton violence continue across a large swath of America, local and national leaders remain largely apathetic, watching from afar like a crowd at a sporting event. Mayors and governors not only refuse to address the problem; most of them are overtly in lockstep with those committing the violence.

Donald Trump seems to want to do something, but Democratic governors and mayors have refused his offers of federal assistance. In early June, Trump wanted to send in National Guard troops to the areas most impacted by the rioting. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker accused the president of creating an “incendiary moment” and stated, “I reject the notion that the federal government can send troops into the state of Illinois.” Trump had lambasted governors for being “weak” and failing to act to stop the mayhem in the streets. “I say thank you, but no thank you,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN. Washington State’s Gov. Jay Inslee declared, “This president has repeatedly proven he is incapable of governing and shown nothing but false bravado throughout the chaos that has accompanied his time in office.”

Some of these governors had deployed obviously inadequate numbers of state National Guard troops and resented the all too accurate implication that they weren’t up to the task. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak boasted, “As the Commander in Chief of the Nevada National Guard I can state, categorically, that they have done their duty to protect all Nevadans, and will continue to do so.” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown claimed, “You don’t defuse violence by putting soldiers on the streets. Trump wants governors to deploy the National Guard as a show of force to intimidate the public. I want to ensure that the public can safely raise their voices in this much-needed call for reform.”

During moments of lesser crisis, President Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy sent federal troops into individual states, over the strong objection of their governors. In 1957, Eisenhower sent federal troops into Arkansas when nine black students were denied admission into a public high school. In June of 1963, Kennedy sent federalized National Guard troops to Alabama, ending Gov. George Wallace’s blockade and desegregating the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. So the precedent is there. What is happening in many cities now is far more dangerous for the entire population, and threatens to destroy what remains of the fabric of our society.

Even those defending the protests have acknowledged that the economic damage alone will persist for decades. Seventeen-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was evidently inspired to take his weapon with him when he traveled from Illinois to war-torn Kenosha, Wisc., because he understood that the authorities were not going to defend the community against violence. Two Antifa members were killed by Rittenhouse, and the circumstances are only now becoming clearer. Even if he acted in self-defense—as it now appears he did—the undeniable truth is that police were not on the scene to restore order, as they have been forced to stand down during most of these protests.

At a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire, President Trump reiterated his position. “Today’s Democrat party is filled with hate. Just look at Joe Biden’s supporters on the streets screaming and shouting at bystanders with unhinged, manic rage. Right? You see it. It’s crazy. You ought to see last night in Washington, [D.C.], it was a disgrace. It was a disgrace that these people are representing the United States of America. It was a disgrace. . . . Protesters? . . . They’re not protesters. Those aren’t protesters. Those are anarchists, they’re agitators, they’re rioters, they’re looters. You say that and some of the people, not all of the people, back there [say] how dare you? These are friendly protesters, right?” Trump went on to say, “They’re just looking for trouble. It has nothing to do with George Floyd . . . . They don’t even know who George Floyd is. . . . They have no idea. If you ask them who is George Floyd, they couldn’t tell you. These are just bad people—troublemakers—and they should not be representing our country at important events and we’ve got to stop it.”

Trump needs to act decisively and send in sufficient numbers of federal troops to quell the disturbances and save whatever property remains unscathed in the worst areas. He will be criticized, but he is criticized regardless of what he does or doesn’t do. To a society already reeling from the senseless and seemingly endless virus lockdown, allowing more businesses to be forced to close, or to be burned to the ground by “peaceful protesters,” will make the total cost of inept leadership at all levels out to be incalculable. The founding fathers would be planning another revolt, if they were saddled with such woeful “representation” from their elected leaders.

Donald Jeffries is a highly respected author and researcher whose work on the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations and other high crimes of the Deep State has been read by millions of people across the world. Jeffries is also the author of three books currently being sold by the AFP Online Store.