The mayor of Seattle on Wednesday told President Donald Trump to “go back to your bunker,” after Trump appeared to suggest he would intervene in the city’s growing protests and called for law and order.
“Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will,” the President warned Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Wednesday. “This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped [sic] IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!”
Trump also claimed that the protesters, who he called “domestic terrorists,” have taken over Seattle.
The President has threatened to use active military to tamp down protests and has encouraged governors to deploy the National Guard to help assist with demonstrations.
The two Democrats, Inslee and Durkan, responded to the President on Wednesday, ratcheting up the Twitter spat during dual health and economic crises and nationwide civil unrest over racial injustice.
“Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker,” Durkan wrote, referring to Trump being moved to the White House bunker for nearly an hour amid intense protests last month.
“A man who is totally incapable of governing should stay out of Washington state’s business. ‘Stoop’ tweeting,” Inslee wrote.
Trump responded to the taunts on Thursday, reiterating his threat to get directly involved in tamping down the protests.
“Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before,” Trump said on Twitter. “Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stopped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!”
Hundreds of protesters marched into Seattle’s City Hall late Tuesday, calling for Durkan to step down after police continued to use chemical irritants to disperse crowds – despite the mayor’s 30-day ban on tear gas that she announced Friday.
Led by city council member Kshama Sawant, the protesters peacefully marched from Capitol Hill to City Hall, where Sawant allowed the protesters inside the building, CNN’s affiliate KOMO reported. Protesters left the building around 10:30 p.m. local time, and Seattle police did not report any arrests.
Durkan’s office responded late Tuesday in a statement to KOMO, saying the mayor “will not be distracted from the critical work that needs to be done at a moment that Seattle is facing its most challenging time in its history.
“As the person who originally investigated the Seattle Police Department for the unconstitutional use of force, Mayor Durkan believes that SPD can lead the nation on continued reforms and accountability, but knows this week has eroded trust at a time when trust is most crucial,” the statement read.
Protesters have also camped out and occupied the area outside Seattle police’s East Precinct building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which protesters are now calling the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
Contrary to online rumors, Seattle officials say they have no indication that the occupied area is being coordinated by left-wing activist groups under the umbrella of Antifa.
“City officials have not interacted with ‘armed Antifa militants’ at this site, but will continue to be on site to monitor the situation closely,” Lori Patrick, a spokesperson for Durkan, told CNN Wednesday.
CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
