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Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act in Minneapolis

Published January 16, 2026, 06:18
Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act in Minneapolis

Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military in Minneapolis, following new clashes between police and protesters. Tensions escalated when a Venezuelan immigrant was shot by a police officer during an operation. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the officer shot the man because he resisted arrest, while claiming he fired in self-defense to protect his life. The incident sparked a demonstration of hundreds of people, which resulted in clashes with law enforcement and the throwing of fireworks and tear gas. Trump threatened to use the Insurrection Act, via Truth Social, if Minnesota authorities do not “enforce the law” and stop the “professional agitators and rioters.” This threat follows similar statements by Trump in recent months. Democratic officials in Minnesota accuse the Trump administration of exacerbating the situation in the city by increasing enforcement operations and arrests, while the city is still in mourning for the death of a woman on January 7th. The state's governor, Tim Walz, called on Trump to “turn down the heat” and stop his “campaign of retribution.”