On Saturday, President Trump tweeted a warning to liberal governors and mayors who have failed to subdue violent protests erupting in major cities across the United States. The president tweeted that protesters crossing state lines to commit violence was a federal crime and "the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done" if liberal politicians don't toughen their response to the destructive rioters.
Crossing State lines to incite violence is a FEDERAL CRIME! Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
The president's warning comes after St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said during a press conference on Saturday that every protester arrested in his city on Friday night had traveled from out-of-state.
"In St. Paul, last night, and across our Twin Cities, the curfew went into effect. Because we had a relative stillness in St. Paul we didn't make an enormous number of arrests but every single person we arrested last night, I'm told, was from out-of-state," the mayor said. "What we are seeing right now is a group of people who are not from here."
Rioters have engaged in violence, looted businesses and set fires ostensibly in response to the recent death of George Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was fired and arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers involved in the incident have also been fired. Despite the response, violence has only intensified in certain cities across the country.