Sen. Tom Cotton backs use of Insurrection Act to quell LA riots 5 years after controversial NYT op-ed : Overwhelming show of force

President Trump should consider invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty troops to Los Angeles if the National Guard isn’t able to stamp out violent riots plaguing the city, Sen.Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) argued in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Tuesday. Cotton’s call comes almost five years to the date that he made the case for using the 1807 law to quell nationwide riots after the death of George Floyd, during Trump’s first term.

 “Violent insurrectionists turned areas of Los Angeles into lawless hellscapes over the weekend, with anarchists setting fire to vehicles, throwing scooters and debris at police, and looting businesses — all while waving foreign flags,” the Arkansas Republican wrote in the WSJ. The anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, Cotton argued, are worse than the summer 2020 riots because of the presence of Mexican and Palestinian flags.   “Democrats also stood idly by or even celebrated as the Black Lives Matter riots ransacked our cities five years ago,” the senator wrote.“If anything, these riots are worse.” “At least the BLM rioters didn’t wave foreign flags.” Trump, 78, has dispatched 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 active-duty Marines to help maintain order in LA and protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as they serve arrest warrants in the city. “If the Guard alone can’t restore order and protect federal officers and property, the president can use active-duty troops under the Insurrection Act of 1807, a law almost as old as the republic,” Cotton reminded the commander in chief.  “Thus far, Mr.

Trump has taken a measured approach and said he doesn’t yet see a need to invoke the Insurrection Act,” he added.“Let’s hope that the National Guard, federal law enforcement and local police can end the anarchy and restore order to Los Angeles.”“In addition to the overwhelming show of force, Congress also needs to show our support for federal law enforcement,” Cotton continued, ...