Trump Announces Center To Investigate Spreading Violence in U.S. Cities

Sept. 1, 2020 (EIRNS)—At his press conference yesterday, President Donald Trump told the media that “The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are announcing a joint operation center to investigate the violent, left-wing civil unrest.” He said that a report on the situation had been produced, and would be made available in the coming days.

He revealed that the federal government has been investigating the forces behind the wave of violence which has been spreading throughout cities across the country, and has reached some significant conclusions.

Leading into the announcement, Trump explained that the federal government has indeed been active in the recent escalation in U.S. cities.

“Federal law enforcement is working with state and local authorities all over the country to comb through hours of video, track down rioters, looters, and arsonists, and bring them to justice. We’ve just come up with a report that we’ve arrested a large number of people. It’s over 200. And you’ll be hearing about that, but they’ve been arrested in various cities throughout the United States. We’re doing it very low key, but we’re trying to help cities.”

Indeed, Trump devoted a majority of his entire opening discussion to the topic of street violence, and for good reason. The chaos is spreading, with renewed nightly violence in Washington, D.C. There are incidents in new places, with Los Angeles being the latest example. In D.C., over 70% of the demonstrators arrested over the weekend were from outside the region— something even the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had to admit. Some came from as far away as Portland, Oregon and Seattle.

“We don’t know who they are necessarily, who funds them, who organizes them. But we know they came together to create havoc,” Bowser said at a press conference Aug. 31, even going as far as calling on the federal government to “assist us the best way they can” by “supporting our officers.”

Police Chief Peter Newsham made the larger point behind Trump’s action, saying, “This isn’t just Washington, D.C. We’ve seen violence in other cities and to the extent that that is coordinated, us in law enforcement, we have a responsibility to find out if it is and then answer that question ‘Who?’— and hold them accountable.”

Trump is getting endorsements on the basis of commitment to security, from mayors and county public safety officials, in addition to the police associations, such as Scott Jones, Sheriff of Sacramento County, California. In Minnesota, a “Mayors for Trump” has seven members and more expected, according to the mayor of Virginia, Minnesota.