Vance says Trump is “considering all his options” as the president threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act
WASHINGTON — Vice President J.D. Vance indicated in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that President Donald Trump was not opposed to invoking the Insurrection Act.
In response to a question from moderator Kristen Welker whether the White House was seriously considering activating the 1807 Act, Vance said: “The president is considering all his options.”
He added: “Right now he doesn’t feel like he needs to.”
The Insurrection Act would allow the president to deploy the U.S. military domestically for law enforcement purposes. The military is not normally permitted to deploy on US soil for domestic law enforcement purposes without authorization from Congress.
NBC News previously reported that White House officials have been holding increasingly serious conversations about whether Trump should invoke the Insurrection Act. If Trump uses the law, it will be the first time since former President George H.W. Bush used the law during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Vance’s comments come as the White House federalizes National Guard forces in an attempt to deploy them in Oregon and Illinois, with the aim of targeting Portland and Chicago. Both movements were temporarily blocked in court. The White House’s push to deploy troops in Democratic-run cities has alarmed critics, who say the move is overblown and being undertaken for political purposes.
Asked about the Insurrection Act, Vance pointed to attacks on law enforcement officers who enforce immigration laws.
“The issue here is not the Insurrection Act or whether or not we’re actually going to invoke it,” Vance told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “The issue is the fact that the entire media in this country, welcomed by a few far-left lunatics, has allowed controversy over the application of the American law to be created.” “We cannot accept that in the United States of America.”
Crime rates are down in both Chicago and Portland, according to Chicago Police Department and Chicago Police statistics City of Portland.
When pressed on whether there was an “insurrection” in the cities to trigger the Insurrection Act, Vance accused the cities of not “keeping statistics properly,” without providing proof.
“The president just wants people to stay safe, and we’re exploring everything we can do to make sure the American people are safe in their country,” Vance said.