George Floyd protests: Esper opposes using Insurrection Act, breaks with Trump
The law does allow a president to send troops to a state over the state government’s objections, but only under specific circumstances.Use of the Insurrection Act has been discussed as Trump has talked about using the military to quell violent protests in U.S. cities. Esper has authorized the movement of several active-duty Army units to military bases just outside the nation’s capital, but they have not been called to action.
In his Pentagon remarks, Esper strongly criticized the actions of Minneapolis police, in whose custody George Floyd died after an officer held his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes. Esper called the act “murder” and “a horrible crime.”
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