Marc Thiessen: 'No reason' Trump can't lawfully use military to quell an 'insurrection'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen said on “America’s Newsroom” on Tuesday that “there's no reason" President Trump cannot lawfully use the U.S. military to assist in trying to control the looting and violent protests taking place across the country.
President Trump vowed this week that, if necessary, he would use the U.S. military to try and subdue the violence, which has raised questions on what degree the armed forces can legally get involved with domestic law enforcement.
Prohibitions against using the military for domestic law enforcement have several exceptions. If President Trump were to call on them to help quell riots, he would likely do so under the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to call on the U.S. armed forces to assist in law enforcement in certain circumstances.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Tuesday Thiessen pointed out that several presidents have used the Insurrection Act in the past to quell riots.
“This is a law that’s been used by Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Rutherford Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson,” Thiessen said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“In 1992 George H.W. Bush used it during the Los Angeles riots over the Rodney King beating,” he continued.
“President John F. Kennedy used the law twice, in 1962 at the University of Mississippi when James Meredith was becoming the first African-American to attend there, segregationists rioted and so he invoked the Insurrection Act.”
Thiessen noted that “Kennedy used it to crack down on segregationists who were blocking the integration of Alabama schools.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He went on to point out that the looting, shootings and arson that have been taking place across the country constitute an insurrection.
“We’re having an insurrection, so there's no reason why the president shouldn't use this law,” Thiessen said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Protests were sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis cop, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck in a viral video. Chauvin has been fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Crowds across the nation have seized on the racially charged incident to demand justice, but the protests have devolved into riots in many cities, culminating in days of carnage.
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.