President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to “take back” Seattle from protesters, tweeting that “ugly anarchists must be stooped.” In response, state and local politicians told him to go back to his bunker beneath the White House ― and keep out of local business.
Seattle had been marked by violent clashes with police amid the demonstrations that broke out after a cop killed George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis last month. But earlier this week, Seattle police left the area and demonstrators took over, cordoning off several blocks which they’ve declared the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” or “CHAZ,” now the site of peaceful ongoing protests.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) said the police pullback was done “to proactively de-escalate interactions between protestors and law enforcement.” But Trump was unhappy with the move even though it ― at least temporarily ― worked.
Durkan fired back by referring to the White House bunker Trump was rushed to as demonstrations broke out in D.C.:
Trump claimed he was only inspecting the bunker when Secret Service agents rushed him there as protesters gathered outside the White House at the end of May. However, earlier this week, Attorney General Bill Barr confirmed that the president was taken to the bunker for his own safety.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who represents Seattle in Congress, also made a reference to the bunker incident:
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who has clashed with Trump repeatedly over the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, also told the president to butt out:
