The Trump administration will not invoke federal authority over the National Guard for now, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said on Sunday as protests continued in multiple U.S. cities after the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis.
“We’re not going to federalize the Guard at this time,” O’Brien told reporters at the White House, saying law enforcement decisions should rest with governors and mayors.
On Saturday, Trump said the military could deploy troops to Minneapolis “very quickly” to respond to violent protests in the aftermath of a police killing of an unarmed black man.
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked protests in several cities, some which have turned violent. Minnesota’s governor activated the state’s national guard after four nights of confrontations in Minneapolis, its first full activation since World War II.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the military had ordered some active-duty Army military police officers to be prepared to deploy if local authorities requested their help.
“We could have our military there very quickly,” if their help was requested, Trump said on Saturday afternoon.
