Trump warns he will take back Seattle from ‘ugly Anarchists’ if local leaders don’t act

President Trump warned Wednesday night that he would take Seattle back from the “ugly Anarchists” protesting the police killing of George Floyd if the city and state leaders do not act. 

The president took to Twitter to criticize “Radical Left” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) after a group of protesters took over City Hall and declared it a police-free autonomous zone. 

“Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW,” Trump posted. “If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!”

Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2020

“Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course,” he added in a later tweet. “LAW & ORDER!”

Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course. LAW & ORDER!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2020

Demonstrators briefly took over City Hall, calling for the defunding of police and the resignation of Durkan. The protesters have established the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood after police left the area, giving the demonstrators free reign in the area. 

Durkan responded to the president’s tweet in a post, saying, “Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker,” referencing reports that the president was moved to the White House bunker after protesters temporarily breached barricades outside. 

Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker. #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/H3TXduhlY4

— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) June 11, 2020

Inslee, a former Democratic presidential candidate, said Trump is “totally incapable of governing” and should stay out of Washington state’s business.

A man who is totally incapable of governing should stay out of Washington state’s business. “Stoop” tweeting. https://t.co/O6i04qmZ9v

— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) June 11, 2020

Protests have broken out across the country in response to Floyd’s death while in Minneapolis police custody. The demonstrations have been largely peaceful, with some violence and looting breaking out in cities.  

Trump has stressed “law and order” amid the protests and threatened to send the U.S. military into cities if governors did not restore order.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told Fox News on Thursday that the president was making clear he will “secure the streets in this country” and the U.S. military is a “tool” at his “disposal.”

She said his “first preference is always local leaders doing their job … as they’re supposed to do.”

“But when they didn’t do their job, last Monday, this president said, ‘I will secure our streets,'” McEnany added. “And what he did was he surged the National Guard, he made D.C. safe. He surged the National Guard in Minneapolis, made Minneapolis safe and had the military as an absolute last-resort backstop.”

Updated at 12:15 p.m.