President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a centuries-old law that lets a U.S. president deploy military forces on American soil. The comments came after a federal judge blocked Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. In this episode of The Briefing, we explain what the Insurrection Act is, why Trump is considering it, whether he’s legally allowed to use it, and what could happen if he does.
