Jamie Dupree

Trump vows to end street violence with 'heavily armed' troops

With the sound of tear gas and flash bang explosions in the background, President Donald Trump on Monday evening said he would use 'all available federal civilian and military resources' to stop riots which have hit a number of cities around the nation in recent days, but offered no plan to address the issue of police brutality which spurred the unrest.

"I am your President of law and order," President Trump declared in the White House Rose Garden, echoing a theme associated with the 1968 campaign of Richard Nixon, during a time of year marked by assassinations and bloody street protests, including riots in the nation's capital.

"I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers," the President said, describing his efforts to clear the streets of protesters who have caused damage on the streets around the White House.

The President then marched over to a nearby church across Lafayette Park, which had been damaged by demonstrators.

"The military should not be used against the American people," said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

The President's declaration came as hundreds of National Guard troops were driven into the White House complex during the afternoon, as police moved to enforce a new 7 pm curfew in the city.

Even before the curfew began, security forces used pepper balls, tear gas, and flash bang grenades to move protestors even further away from the White House.

Jamie Dupree

Jamie Dupree, CMG Washington News Bureau

Radio News Director of the Washington Bureau