As President Donald Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act to use aspects of the U.S. military against Americans involved in the demonstrations in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week, polling so far shows that most people are not happy with how he has handled the situation.
Indeed, the data demonstrates that a majority of Americans appear to be in support of the protests in general.
A Morning Consult poll conducted on May 31 and June 1 — several days after demonstrations began in protest over Floyd’s killing at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer who held a knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes — finds that 54 percent of Americans either strongly support or somewhat support the protests that are going on. Conversely, just 22 percent say they somewhat oppose or strongly oppose the demonstrations.
These protests have much more support, according to the poll, than the recent calls for “reopening America” that took place weeks ago (and which had the strong backing of the president). The poll suggests that just 28 percent of respondents think those protests were worthwhile, while 46 percent say they opposed them in a general sense.
As for the clashes taking place between protesters and the police presence at events across the country, more Americans than not still side with the views of those who are demonstrating, with 55 percent in the Morning Consult poll saying police violence is a bigger problem than violence against the police. Just 30 percent hold the opposite opinion.
Most Americans do not view Trump’s management of his administration’s response to the protests in a positive light, either. Just 30 percent of Americans think he’s addressing the situation in an “Excellent,” “Very Good,” or “Good” way. Another 11 percent give him a grade of “Fair,” while a plurality of respondents (43 percent) say he’s doing a “Poor” job so far.
On Monday, Trump announced he may invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to utilize the U.S. military to respond to protesters across the country. The act was last used in 1992 in response to demonstrations that took place against a ruling in Los Angeles, California, acquitting four police officers who were charged with beating Rodney King.
Trump explained in a statement at the White House that his decision to use the military forces against Americans could come about regardless of whether local or state leaders requested their presence or not.
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” Trump said, referring to himself as the “president of law and order.”
Trump also said that he is an “ally of all peaceful protesters” currently taking part in uprisings across the country. But many have questioned the legitimacy of that claim, pointing out past statements where he expressed a desire to punch protesters in the face, as well as his vociferous opposition to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee in protest during the playing of the national anthem prior to NFL games.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $115,000 in one-time donations and to add 1365 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy