Host Erin Burnett then asked, “Let me ask you, mayor, because some of these images, they’re ugly. I mean, a Starbucks destroyed in the protests, a construction site for a juvenile detention facility set on fire, Seattle police say officers were burned when protesters threw explosive devices at them, and look, a lot of what’s happening here, this is not peaceful. This is just violent and destructive, and the president says he thinks mayors like you are refusing his help and those standby forces because he’s the one offering it. Does he have a point?”

Durkan responded, “No. Again, the president’s actions clearly have escalated things in Seattle, and across the country. I was just talking to a number of mayors throughout the country who saw a similar thing that — people wanting to act out against the president and his administration coming to the streets. I believe, if you look at what happened yesterday and Sunday, again, it was peaceful. We had a number of peaceful protests. And what we’ve seen is, every time this president promises to sow division, he’s successful at it. And he’s clearly targeted cities run by Democratic mayors. He’s said so himself. He’s using law enforcement as a political tool. I hate to say it, Erin, but I really believe that we are seeing the dry run for martial law. This is a president that is using law enforcement and federal forces for political purposes, and that should be chilling to every American.”