Delaware Gov. John Carney rejected a request to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., citing what he viewed as heated rhetoric of President Donald Trump and an ill-defined mission.
Carney’s spokesman Jonathan Starkey issued the following:
Trump has called for a hard line in dealing with civil unrest in the nation’s capital, which has been hit with protests and looting.
Trump made a controversial decision yesterday to clear the area in front of the White House of protesters with police using tear gas. After that action was taken, Trump walked out of the grounds to the outside of an Episcopal parish and held up a Bible.
The action was criticized by former vice president, longtime U.S. Senator and presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden.
He’s using the American military against the American people.
He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets.
For a photo.
For our children, for the very soul of our country, we must defeat him. But I mean it when I say this: we can only do it together. https://t.co/G1yE67q9Nz
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 2, 2020
The action was condemned by the Episcopal bishop for Washington, D.C. and the denomination’s presiding bishop.
The Hill website reported that the governor of Virginia, a fellow Democrat also turned down the request, with the Republican governor of Maryland agreeing to allow the deployment of more than 100 troops.