Newt Gingrich: Here' how Trump should address nationwide riots
'This is a war against America,' says Newt Gingrich discussing how President Trump should handle violent riots breaking out in major U.S. cities
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on Monday that President Trump should address the rioting in the wake of George Floyd's death through a national address.
“He should indicate that we support the right of peaceful protest and he should indicate that he’s prepared to declare an emergency for the destruction,” Gingrich told “Fox & Friends.”
Gingrich said that the destruction by the “mobs” should be treated as a “hurricane” or “earthquake,” prompting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “step in to help rebuild.”
“Whether that’s Minneapolis, Atlanta, Washington, or Los Angeles. People should not bear the brunt of the government failing to protect them,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich's comments came after Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. government will designate the far-left group Antifa as a terrorist organization.
This comes as Trump has blamed Antifa for riots taking place across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man who died May 25 while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn.
A resolution to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization was introduced in the Senate in 2019, stating that Antifa "represents opposition to the democratic ideals of peaceful assembly and free speech for all[.]"
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Gingrich said that Trump should “outline” that such events are a “war against America,” warranting a response by the FBI.
“These are not riots in a traditional sense. You have a nationwide group, Antifa is part of it, but there are other elements involved,” Gingrich said.
“But the federal government should be engaged totally, in terms of the FBI and other assets to find out who is paying for it, who is organizing it, how is it happening, and, frankly, to lock people up for a very long time.”
Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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