Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the federal government should not invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 that allows the president to deploy U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States in some instances. There was speculation President Donald Trump may use the law to quell civil unrest across the country.
“I’ve always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities in these situations in support of local law enforcement,” Esper told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.
