Legitimate protests over police brutality in Minneapolis have been hijacked by antifa radicals and street criminals, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino said Monday. On Fox News, and his own podcast, Bongino argued that the ongoing riots in cities across the nation have devolved into a dangerous insurrection that needs to be shut down immediately.
Over the weekend, there were demonstrations in more than 75 U.S. cities and many of them turned unimaginably violent and deadly. The president of the United States Sunday night had to take shelter in the White House bunker as violent riots raged nearby.
In Rochester, New York, a woman was savagely beaten while trying to defend her business from a mob of looters.
The video, which has been shared online, shows the woman speaking to a group of at least six individuals — some of whom were holding large planks of wood — after one member threw a ladder at the door of a business.
The woman, who lives with her husband above the Rochester Fire Equipment Company, was reportedly taken away in an ambulance.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1267238959718989828?s=20
In city after city, the masked agitators strategically continued their campaign of property destruction, burning and looting small businesses that were already financially stressed by the economic lockdown. The antifa/BLM agitators assaulted or terrorized anyone who got in their way.
Portland: A man brought an American flag to the antifa/BLM protest (later riot). He is confronted & then sucker-punched by a man wearing a "F— Trump" shirt. The mob rushed in to beat him. He never let go of the flag. @PortlandPolice did not help. #Antifa #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/OAP6L0THeE
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) May 31, 2020
Rioters attack a driver on an occupied freeway in Tulsa, Okla. #antifa #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/yRb8Yscz26
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 1, 2020
Unbelievable. This place has been here forever. A Japanese family owns it. pic.twitter.com/bqMioTTRDF
— Brianna Sacks (@bri_sacks) June 1, 2020
The historic St. John’s Church near the White House was set on fire during the DC riot last night. #antifa #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/1BwOAdyHko
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 1, 2020
The nation's capital is legitimately on fire in every direction. This is unreal. pic.twitter.com/hXNJ0LticL
— Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) June 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1267408312347381760?s=20
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1267303761745252353?s=20
San Jose, Cal. #antifa #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/TtmqgY3KaF
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/freddie1999/status/1267239279278907393?s=20
Photojournalist beaten by rioters in DC. He says he thinks his jaw is broken. #antifa #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/gDeUE6tBUm
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 1, 2020
Despite the carnage, several high profile celebrities and 13 Biden Campaign staffers have announced that they are contributing to a bail fund for the Minnesota rioters.
https://twitter.com/damonimani/status/1267204731849576451?s=20
In the wake of last night's demonstrations, there are numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall. For generations the Mall has been our nation’s premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition. pic.twitter.com/LmIHfW2AHj
— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) May 31, 2020
“This is not about George Floyd anymore,” Bongino, now a Fox News contributor, said on Fox and Friends Monday morning. “We had a sincere moment of national unity—everyone agreed—even our police officers agreed that this [the killing of Floyd] was abhorrent. But who’s talking about that now? Nobody! We’re talking about an insurrection!”
Bongino stressed that it is imperative that the demonstrations get shut down immediately.
“This has to stop now. They’d better get a lid on this stat or this is not going to end well!” he told the Fox and Friends hosts.
“Bill Barr and the president need to legally decapitate antifa today,” Bongino added.
He told the hosts that the FBI needs to make some “high profile arrests” of antifa agitators and the National Guard needs to be “fully mobilized” in every state.
“I don’t care if you live in Wyoming or downtown Miami, we have to shut this down now. Get a lid on this right now!” Bongino exclaimed.
He argued that the violence should have been shut down in Minnesota “on day one.”
“I said on Tuesday, the minute you let this get out of control it turns from crowd control to riot control, and those are two completely different forms of policing. We are in a triage situation now, and we should have never been here,” he said.
Throughout the weekend, there were multiple reports nationwide that piles of bricks were appearing in riot-torn cities, apparently provided by antifa organizers.
Manhattan: “We got bricks!” #antifa #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/g8hLnjWp8B
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 1, 2020
We have learned of & discovered stashes of bricks and rocks in & around the Plaza and Westport to be used during a riot. If you see anything like this, you can text 911 and let us know so we can remove them. This keeps everyone safe and allows your voice to continue to be heard.
— kcpolice (@kcpolice) May 31, 2020
Frisco PD has responded and investigated the report of bricks near where a planned protest is to be held. It was determined that the bricks were part of a planned HOA construction project and with permission they have been removed to be returned at a later time. pic.twitter.com/jGL1AkGy5z
— Frisco Police (@FriscoPD) June 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/ali/status/1266622746571800576?s=20
NYPD released a photo of an officer who had been hit in the head with a brick.
An NYPD lieutenant sported a bloody face after a violent clash with George Floyd protesters.
“So… my face is a brick magnet,” quipped NYPD Lt. Rob Corbett. “… My head hurts and it’s a little hard to talk."https://t.co/VpCVqlBUUu
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 30, 2020
There were several reports over the weekend of black protesters strongly objecting to the bricks, like the woman in the video below.
Antifa is handing out bricks to young black men to throw at businesses and riot. This black woman had a few words for Antifa. pic.twitter.com/uQcjmkQaMV
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 1, 2020
President Trump on Monday posted a clear warning to antifa on Twitter:
Anarchists, we see you! pic.twitter.com/ov1dMLu4Eg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2020
Bongino told the Fox and Friends hosts that the president understands what’s going on, but stressed that he needs to give a unifying address to the nation tonight from the Oval Office.
“Antifa and these criminals have declared war on civility and the constitutional Republic. This is not a joke, this is an insurrection. This is a coup. This is not a protest anymore,” he warned.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1267428449372831744?s=20
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1267519978720432128?s=20
During a separate interview on Fox News Monday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said that President Trump should use the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty U.S. troops to cities impacted by protests and riots.
“If necessary the president should use the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty military forces to these cities to support our local law enforcement and ensure that this violence ends tonight, not one more night,” Cotton said.
“What the president can do is say that justice will be done in accordance with law for George Floyd and we will always respect the right of peaceful protests … but the rioting, the anarchy and the looting ends tonight. If local law enforcement is overwhelmed … lets see how these anarchists respond when the 101st Airborne is on the other side of the street,” the senator added.
And, if necessary, the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne, 1st Cav, 3rd Infantry—whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters. https://t.co/OnNJmnDrYM
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) June 1, 2020
Over 17,000 national guardsmen have been deployed nationwide in response to violent riots, according to CBS News.
Including the approximately 45,000 national guardsmen who have been activated to help battle the coronavirus pandemic, there are now 66,7000 national guardsmen activated for domestic operations in support of U.S. governors, which the bureau described as a “historic” amount.
The White House on Monday indicated that the president has no immediate plans to address the nation from the Oval Office.
When asked if a presidential address was forthcoming, White House Press Secretary McEnany responded: “A national Oval Office address is not going to stop Antifa.”
“What’s going to stop is action. And this president is committed to acting on this,” she said, adding that his focus “is acting and keeping our streets safe.”
In a phone call with the nation’s governor’s Monday, President Trump reportedly urged them to step up enforcement: “You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate you’re wasting your time. They’re going to run over you, you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate.”
He also reportedly said: “Washington was under very good control, but we’re going to have it under much more control. We’re going to pull in thousands of people.”