Trump just threatened to invade Seattle. The mayor and governor rejected his offer with light mockery.


Things have descended into a little light anarchy in one neighborhood in Seattle — seriously, a cop-free "autonomous zone" with smoking sections? And as denizens of the new Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) danced to a band, painted "Black Lives Matter" on the street, created colorful street art, and watched Paris Is Burning from a large projector Wednesday night, President Trump threatened to send in the troops.
"Radical Left" Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan "are being taunted and played," and if they don't "take back your city NOW," then "I will," Trump tweeted. "This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!" And they did move fast, on Twitter:
For what it's worth, The Stranger's Charles Mudede predicts that CHAZ will end in either "institutionalization" or "destruction," and given Durkan's switch to "soft control" tactics, institutionalization probably has the upper hand.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Tied Supreme Court blocks church charter school
speed read The court upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to bar overtly religious public charter schools
-
GOP megabill would limit judicial oversight of Trump
speed read The domestic policy bill Republicans pushed through the House would protect the Trump administration from the consequences of violating court orders
-
Judge scolds DOJ over Newark mayor arrest
speed read Ras Baraka was arrested during a May 9 surprise visit to a migrant detention facility
-
Trump lectures South Africa president on 'white genocide'
speed read Trump has cut off aid to South Africa over his demonstrably false genocide claims
-
Trump twists House GOP arms on megabill
speed read The bill will provide a $350 billion boost to military and anti-immigration spending and 'cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs'
-
Trump DOJ said to pay $5M to family of Jan. 6 rioter
speed read The US will pay a hefty sum to the family of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot on January 6
-
Trump DOJ charging House Democrat in ICE fracas
speed read Rep. LaMonica McIver is being charged with assault over a clash outside an immigration detention facility in Newark
-
Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
speed read The diagnosis hits close to home, as the former president 'dedicated much of his later career to cancer research'