Minneapolis mayor: Walz dithered on his requests to deploy National Guard until it was too late
Ed Morrissey Posted at 10:01 am on August 4, 2020
Jacob Frey has decided to fight back. The mayor of Minneapolis has gotten deluged with criticism over the feckless response to riots in the Third Precinct, including his tearful press conference at the beginning when he seemed more interested in rebuking Donald Trump than in taking control of his city. In an interview with the Star Tribune, however, Frey said he’d repeatedly requested the National Guard to restore order — and it was Governor Tim Walz who dithered and delayed.
And, at least according to the Strib, Frey has the records to prove it (via Gary Gross):
“Through an extremely difficult situation, I told the truth,†Frey said Monday. “I relayed information as best I could to state partners. And we did what was demanded for the sake of our city.â€â€¦
On Wednesday, May 27, the second evening of unrest around the Third Precinct, Frey said Police Chief Medaria Arradondo called him at 6:23 p.m. to say that the Target store near the police station was being looted and that he needed the National Guard.
Frey said he immediately telephoned Walz, at 6:29 p.m., relayed information, and asked him to send in the National Guard. “We expressed the seriousness of the situation. The urgency was clear,†Frey said.
“He did not say yes,†Frey said of Walz. “He said he would consider it.â€
Frey insisted that he explicitly asked whether his verbal requests constituted a formal request, and the governor’s staff confirmed that they did. The governor’s office disputes that.
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https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/08/04/minneapolis-mayor-walz-refused-requests-deploy-national-guard-late/