Liberals horrified by Trump's mobilizing federal forces, threat to deploy troops

Liberals expressed disgust Monday night at President Trump’s mobilizing of military and civilian forces to confront nationwide rioting.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, Washington Democrat, said the president’s action “proves that he cannot lead us through these tumultuous times and unite the country.”

“Instead, he has decided to rely on the use of force to address those who he views as a threat,” Mr. Smith said. “I urge President Trump to reverse course and use the full weight of the presidency to calm tensions across the country, not escalate them. It simply doesn’t have to be this way.”

The president on Monday night threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy military troops to stop rioting if governors can’t restore order with National Guard troops.

“The domestic deployment of our armed services is an incredibly serious undertaking that should not be taken lightly,” Mr. Smith said. “It is un-American to use our service members to ‘dominate’ civilians, as both the President and Secretary of Defense have suggested. We live in a democracy, not a dictatorship.”

New York State Attorney General Letitia said the president “is not a dictator.”

“President Trump does not and will not dominate New York state,” she said. “In fact, the president does not have the right to unilaterally deploy U.S. military across American states. We respect and will guard the right to peaceful protest, and my office will review any federal action with an eye toward protecting our state’s rights. Rest assured: We will not hesitate to go to court to protect our constitutional rights during this time and well into the future.”