2:27President Donald Trump engages in an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, January 14, 2026. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
On Thursday, President Donald Trump warned of his intention to potentially activate the Insurrection Act to deploy U.S. military forces as tensions escalate in Minneapolis following a second shooting in a week involving a federal officer amidst Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in the area.
"If the dishonest politicians in Minnesota fail to enforce the law and allow the professional agitators and insurrectionists to assault the Patriots of I.C.E., who are simply doing their job, I will enact the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents before me have utilized, and swiftly put an end to the disgrace that is unfolding in that formerly great State," Trump stated in a social media update.
President Donald Trump engages in an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, January 14, 2026. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
On Wednesday night, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asserted that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, must be prevented from committing "terrorism."
"The insurrection in Minnesota is a direct consequence of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor who are promoting violence against law enforcement. It’s appalling," Blanche posted on X. "Walz and Frey — I am determined to stop YOU from your terrorism by any means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise."
ABC News has contacted the offices of Walz and Frey for a response to Blanche’s remarks.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche participates in a news conference on November 19, 2025, in Washington. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The deputy attorney general’s candid remarks followed Walz’s stern criticism of the federal government’s law enforcement presence earlier on Wednesday, after a federal officer shot an individual who allegedly fled a traffic stop and subsequently, along with two others, began assaulting the officer.
This shooting occurred one week after Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot and killed by an ICE agent. The Department of Homeland Security contended that Good was reportedly attempting to run over law enforcement officials, a claim that local authorities have challenged.
"It’s a campaign of systemic brutality against the citizens of Minnesota by our very own federal government," Walz remarked in a speech on Wednesday. He encouraged residents to "protest loudly, urgently, but also peacefully."
Frey, who has urged ICE to "get the f— out" of Minneapolis, stated on Wednesday that "the current situation we are witnessing in our city is untenable."
A federal agent brandishes a crowd-control weapon following an incident where a civilian’s vehicle was impacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 12, 2026. Tim Evans/Reuters
Previously, Trump had threatened to activate the Insurrection Act of 1807 last summer during protests in Los Angeles concerning the administration’s immigration enforcement and the deployment of the National Guard.
This legislation, which permits the use of military forces on U.S. soil for specified purposes, has not been enacted for many years. The last time it was invoked was in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots sparked by the murder of Rodney King, at the governor’s request. It has not been employed without the governor’s coordination since the 1960s.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com