U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had suggested to some governors to call in the National Guard in the face of mostly peaceful nationwide protests sparked by the death of a black man, George Floyd, in police custody.
"I'm suggesting to some of these governors that are too proud ... 'Don't be proud. Get the job done. You'll end up doing much better in the end, calling the National Guard. Call me,'" Trump said in remarks at the White House Rose Garden.
"You have to dominate the streets. You can't let what's happening, happen," he added.
Trump asserted that the United States has made it through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. And that strength let us get through this horrible pandemic, largely through, I think we're doing really well," Trump said at a news briefing called after the release of surprisingly good US job numbers.
"We've made every decision correctly," Trump said of his handling of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 108,000 lives in the United States.
Trump also said on he views the Phase 1 trade deal inked between the United States and China differently in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I guess I view the trade deal a little bit differently than I did three months ago," Trump told reporters at White House.
"Getting along with China would be a good thing. I don't know if that's going to happen. I'll let you know," he added.
