President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act “if it was necessary,” particularly if the courts or state and local officials delay his plans for deploying the National Guard.

“I’d do it if it was necessary. So far it hasn’t been necessary. But we have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked under what conditions he would consider the rarely used 19th century law.

“If I had to enact it, I’d do that. If people were being killed, and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I’d do that. I mean I want to make sure that people aren’t killed, we have to make sure that our cities are safe,” he added.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to mobilize the U.S.

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