Can Trump send soldiers to Minneapolis? |
Federal law enforcement officers attempt to disperse demonstrators protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Thursday, January 15, 2026. | Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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When I hear the word “insurrection,” I still think about January 6. It’s a strange twist of history — and also, probably, etymology — that this particular term is now finding new purchase in Minneapolis.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a seldom-used law some legal scholars have dubbed the country’s “most dangerous,” to crack down on protesters in the city. Those protesters have blocked traffic and hounded federal agents since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed Renee Good last week.
Trump has made similar threats in the past, and it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll follow through. But even the suggestion of active-duty troops on the ground in a major US city is scary enough to justify a close look at the issue.
In today’s edition, we answer the question: What is the Insurrection Act, exactly, and what will happen in Minneapolis if Trump invokes it? Plus: the MAGA media machine and microplastics.
What is the Insurrection Act?
The Insurrection Act is a centuries-old federal law that gives the president authority to deploy US troops inside the United States and use military force against Americans. Under normal circumstances, presidents can deploy troops almost anywhere they see fit, but those soldiers can’t perform........