President Donald Trump has significantly softened his stance on deploying the military to quell unrest in Minnesota, stating he sees no current need to invoke a powerful emergency law he had threatened to use just a day earlier.
A Sudden Shift in Rhetoric
On Friday, 16 January 2026, as he departed the White House for Florida, Trump told reporters he saw "no reason" to use the Insurrection Act at this time. This marked a stark reversal from his position on Thursday, when he vowed on Truth Social to "quickly put an end to the travesty" in Minnesota by instituting the act, which authorises the use of active-duty military for domestic law enforcement.
"I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it," the President said. However, in a separate social media post the same day, he maintained a combative tone, labelling protesters as "highly paid professionals" and criticising local leadership, claiming the state's governor and mayor had "totally lost control."
Internal Pressure and Legal Challenges
This change in tone follows reports of internal Republican concerns over declining support for the administration's aggressive immigration tactics in the state. Sources indicate the White House has discussed "recalibrating" its approach amid the political fallout.
The situation in Minnesota escalated this month following two shootings involving federal agents. An ICE agent fatally shot mother Renee Good, while another federal agent shot a migrant during an arrest. Minnesota officials have disputed the White House's characterisation of Good as a domestic terrorist, arguing video evidence shows she posed no threat.
This week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the administration, accusing federal agents of employing "police-state tactics" and engaging in mass racial profiling of Somali and Latino communities. The suit also alleges the unlawful arrest of U.S. citizens.
Official Justifications and Local Backlash
Throughout the week, top Trump officials defended the federal operation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche claimed on social media platform X that the "Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement."
Local leaders in Minnesota have repeatedly called for calm and condemned the federal government's methods, creating a standoff that has drawn national attention to the state's immigration enforcement policies and the limits of federal power.
