‘They’d have machine guns out for them’: Trump says CHAZ would have no chance if rightwing instead of anarchists occupying Seattle
US President Donald Trump said if “people slightly to the right” attempted to occupy a portion of a city – like those protesting police brutality did in Seattle – they would have been dealt with swiftly.
"Could you imagine if people just even slightly to the right tried to take over Seattle, they'd have machine guns out to get them,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday evening.
Trump was referring to the ‘Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone’ (CHAZ) run by activists in downtown Seattle. The ‘cop-free’ zone, fenced off by barricades, was carved out by a loose collective of Black Lives Matter protesters, socialists, and anarchists around a police precinct headquarters in early June.
While attempts to build similar zones were thwarted in Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina, local authorities in Seattle allowed the activists to run the enclave unimpeded, with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan effectively giving her blessing to them, describing it as a “summer of love.”
Despite mounting concerns that CHAZ’s leadership is failing to reign in crime, which has reportedly been rampant during the night, the local authorities have been reluctant to take any decisive action against the encampment – even after a shooting left one dead and another with life-threatening injuries at the main entrance to the zone on Saturday morning.
Also on rt.com Seattle police probe deadly shooting in activist-run CHAZ ‘autonomous zone’Trump said that he stands ready to assist Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who he described as “radical left,” to quash the unrest.
“I have an offer out – any time you want, we’ll come in, we’ll straighten it out in one hour or less.”
Taking a swipe at calls to defund police, which have become a rallying cry of Black Lives Matter protesters across the country, Trump noted that those who support the idea have lost their minds.
“In Minneapolis the council has already passed it. In Seattle you see what’s going on there it’s even worse... these people are stone cold crazy,” he said, adding that these types of things would not happen on his watch (at least on the federal level).
“You’re so lucky I’m president,” he added.
The event in Tulsa was the first campaign rally held by Trump after a three-month break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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