Don’t Call in the Troops

The feds have better tools to pursue Antifa. But state and local officials need to restore public order.

WSJ editorial. Excerpts:

"In the current moment the sight of troops on U.S. streets would be more likely to inflame than calm. The media, which is generally discounting the violence as understandable rage at the killing of George Floyd, would say the day of the Trump dictatorship that they long predicted had arrived. They’d be wrong, since constitutional restraints still hold, but that nuance won’t make it to the streets.


U.S. soldiers are trained for combat against a foreign enemy, not for riot control against Americans. The risk of mistakes would be high, and Mr. Trump would be blamed for any bloodshed from civilian clashes with troops. In any case the soldiers aren’t needed at the moment because the National Guard are available and have more experience with domestic unrest and law-breaking. The Guard have made a difference in Minneapolis since Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz deployed them in greater numbers."

"Of 686 arrests in New York since May 28 through Sunday, Mr. Miller said, one of every seven were from out of New York. The arrested came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Iowa, Nevada, Virginia, Maryland, Texas and Minnesota. This suggests extensive coordination that is exploiting justified anger about George Floyd.

This is where the federal government can make a difference. The feds have access to intelligence and can coordinate across state lines to track organizers. They can employ anti-racketeering laws and can track their money, seize assets and break up networks whose members cross state lines to stir up violence."