Trump to meet with Barr, governors after weekend of violent clashes between police, protesters
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Monday morning with Attorney General William Barr after yet another night of protests across the country, including a number that turned violent.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Barr privately in the Oval Office at 10:30 a.m. ET, according to the official White House schedule. At 11 a.m., Trump is scheduled to host a video teleconference meeting with governors, law enforcement and national security officials "on keeping American communities safe."
Trump's meetings come after a weekend of violent clashes between protesters and police and rampant looting in major cities across the U.S., with the National Guard deployed to many areas.
While some demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in police custody were peaceful Sunday, one outside the White House devolved into another night of chaos in which multiple fires broke out near Lafayette Park, including one in the basement of St. John’s church and one in the lobby of the AFL-CIO headquarters. As the 11 p.m. curfew order neared Sunday, police became more aggressive against the protesters by using tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd.
In a statement Sunday, Barr said that "the voices of peaceful and legitimate protests have been hijacked by violent radical elements" and said "federal law enforcement actions will be directed at apprehending and charging the violent radical agitators" who break federal law.
Barr was seen working at the Justice Department on Saturday in a photo posted by spokeswoman Kerri Kupec on Twitter.
Barr announced Friday that the Department of Justice and FBI are conducting an independent investigation to determine whether federal civil rights were violated in Floyd's death last week.
