President Donald Trump falsely claimed Tuesday that he deployed federal troops to end Seattle’s 2020 Capitol Hill protests, despite no such deployment occurring, while suggesting American cities could serve as “training grounds” for military operations.
Speaking before senior U.S. generals, Trump referenced the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone created after Seattle police abandoned the East Precinct during demonstrations following George Floyd’s killing.
“You look at some of the things where they took over parts of Seattle … I sent in the troops, and they were gone as soon as I sent them in,” Trump stated.
No federal troops were deployed to Seattle during the 2020 protests. Protesters departed July 1, 2020, after Seattle police returned to the precinct and issued dispersal orders, more than three weeks after Trump threatened intervention on social media.
Then-Governor Jay Inslee activated the Washington National Guard on May 31, 2020, according to agency records. The troops were never federalized and operated in collaboration with Inslee, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and the Seattle Police Department—a fundamentally different arrangement than federal military deployment.
“The situation is totally different from the one in California,” a National Guard spokesperson said, referring to Trump’s recent use of federalized National Guard troops in Los Angeles during immigration enforcement tensions.
The Capitol Hill protest zone experienced multiple violent crimes during its existence, including shootings that killed two teenagers. Seattle police ultimately cleared the area through local law enforcement operations without federal military intervention.
Trump took to Twitter on June 10, 2020, accusing Governor Inslee and Mayor Durkan of inaction, though city and state authorities managed the situation’s resolution through local resources.
On Tuesday, Trump renewed suggestions about deploying U.S. military forces in cities, claiming the nation faces an “invasion from within.”
Seattle officials announced preparations for potential federal force deployment. Mayor Bruce Harrell said he will sign an executive order outlining city agency responses if troops arrive. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined Harrell in opposing federal intervention.
“Our message to the president is very clear: Stay out of Seattle,” Harrell stated.
The false claims about 2020 events raise concerns about historical accuracy in policy discussions and the potential for mischaracterizing past events to justify future actions.
