Vance cites 1807 law that 'lets president send troops to cities'

The White House is talking about invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow the deployment of military troops on US soil, to quell domestic unrest amid legal challenges over the moves, JD Vance confirmed yesterday.

- Ed Pilkington

Vance was asked on NBC News's Meet the Press if Donald Trump was seriously considering invoking the emergency power to deploy national guard forces - and even the US military - in domestic settings.

“The president’s looking at all of his options,” he said, adding: “We are talking about this because crime has gotten out of control in our cities.”

Trump’s attempts to use federal national guard forces in cities run by Democrats has faced challenges in the courts, most notably in Chicago.

Vance’s ominous remarks came days after Trump referred to the Insurrection Act, bluntly stating: “If I had to enact it, I would do that.”

Military forces are forbidden from engaging in law enforcement duties in the US. But under the Insurrection Act, a law from 1807, the president can deploy them if violence is stopping federal laws functioning.