Reaction: what can Donald Trump legally do to quell the George Floyd protests?

Former defence secretary James Mattis slams president for use of force against peaceful demonstrators

Troop line the Lincoln Memorial
Former defence secretary James Mattis slams president for use of force against peaceful demonstrators
(Image credit: Credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Donald Trump has been denounced by his former defence secretary for threatening to deploy “heavily armed” military forces to “dominate the streets” and quell the ongoing race protests.

James Mattis, who quit the Trump administration in 2018, said he was “angry and appalled” by the handling of the nationwide unrest triggered by the police killing of African-American George Floyd.

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