Trump urges Minneapolis mayor to ‘get tough and fight’

President Trump told Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) to “get tough and fight” as he seeks to address massive unrest in his city following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man who died in an encounter with police this week. 

“Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis will never be mistaken for the late, great General Douglas McArthur or great fighter General George Patton,” Trump wrote in a series of tweets Saturday afternoon.

“How come all of these places that defend so poorly are run by Liberal Democrats? Get tough and fight (and arrest the bad ones)?” the president added.

Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis will never be mistaken for the late, great General Douglas McArthur or great fighter General George Patton. How come all of these places that defend so poorly are run by Liberal Democrats? Get tough and fight (and arrest the bad ones). STRENGTH!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020

Nearly 50 people were arrested Friday night in Minneapolis after thousands took to the streets despite Frey issuing a citywide curfew.

The order took effect Friday at 8 p.m. and extended until 6 a.m. on Saturday, with no travel or gatherings in public allowed. The same curfew is in place for Saturday evening.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, another Democrat, ordered the full mobilization of the state’s National Guard on Saturday morning after multiple instances of looting and arson in the city the night before. The move will bring the number of soldiers patrolling Minneapolis to around 1,700.

Trump’s tweet Saturday swiping at Frey followed another he had sent early Friday morning in which he decried what he called a “total lack of leadership” in Minneapolis and called on the mayor to “get his act together and bring the City under control.”

Frey pushed back during a later press conference, saying that “weakness is pointing your finger at somebody else during a time of crisis.”

“Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis,” Frey said. “We are strong as hell. This is a difficult time, yes, but you better be damn sure that we’re going to get through this.”

“Weakness is pointing your finger at somebody else, during a time of crisis. Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responded to a tweet from President Trump accusing him of weak leadership: https://t.co/MTJZiUsWH8 pic.twitter.com/vkJ8P9Jj80

— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2020

Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations across the country, including in Washington, D.C., where protesters gathered in front of the White House on Friday evening.

The White House went into a brief lockdown as a result of the protests, where demonstrators clashed with local police and Secret Service guards.