Trump threatens White House protesters with 'dogs and ominous weapons'

Donald Trump has threatened people protesting the death of George Floyd with "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons" if they had breached the fence outside the White House, where members of the US Secret Service are "waiting for action".

In a Twitter thread posted after another night of protests and uprisings against police brutality across the US, the president suggested that US Secret Service members look forward to inflicting violence.

He also appeared to encourage counter protests, promoting "MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE".

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The president said: "The front line was replaced with fresh agents, like magic. Big crowd, professionally organized, but nobody came close to breaching the fence. If they had they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. That's when people would have been really badly hurt, at least. Many Secret Service agents just waiting for action. 'We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and ... good practice."

His posts also appeared to try to undermine protesters calling for justice in the wake of killings of black men by police by saying that the US Secret Service (which he appraised as "not only totally professional, but very cool") had "let the 'protesters' scream [and] rant as much as they wanted" but "whenever someone got too frisky or out of line, they would quickly come down on them, hard — didn’t know what hit them."

Shape Created with Sketch. George Floyd death: Minneapolis protests erupt in the streets Show all 30 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. George Floyd death: Minneapolis protests erupt in the streets 1/30 Police spray mace at protestors to break up a gathering near the Minneapolis Police third precinct after a white police officer was caught on a bystander's video pressing his knee into the neck of African-American man George Floyd, who later died at a hospital, in Minneapolis Reuters 2/30 A protester holds a sign with an image of George Floyd AP 3/30 Protesters demonstrate against the death of George Floyd AFP via Getty 4/30 A protester throws a piece of wood on a fire in the street just north of the 3rd Police Precinct Getty 5/30 People in other US cities also protested the murder, like Los Angeles AFP via Getty 6/30 Getty 7/30 AP 8/30 Reuters 9/30 AFP via Getty 10/30 AFP via Getty 11/30 AFP via Getty 12/30 A police officer lobs a canister to break up crowds Reuters 13/30 A protester is treated after inhaling tear gas Getty 14/30 Two police officers stand on the roof of the Third Police Precinct during a face off with a group of protesters Getty 15/30 Protesters outside a Minneapolis police precinct two days after George Floyd died EPA 16/30 Protesters run from tear gas Reuters 17/30 AP 18/30 Demonstrators gather to protest in Los Angeles AP 19/30 Police remove barricades set by protesters AFP via Getty 20/30 Getty 21/30 A fire burns inside of an Auto Zone store near the Third Police Precinct Getty 22/30 Flowers, signs and balloons are left near a makeshift memorial to George Floyd near the spot where he died AFP via Getty 23/30 A policeman faces a protester holding a placard in downtown Los Angeles AFP via Getty 24/30 A couple poses with a sign in Los Angeles AFP via Getty 25/30 MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 27: A man is tended to after sustaining an injury from a projectile shot by police outside the 3rd Police Precinct building on May 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Four Minneapolis police officers have been fired after a video taken by a bystander was posted on social media showing Floyd's neck being pinned to the ground by an officer as he repeatedly said, "I cant breathe". Floyd was later pronounced dead while in police custody after being transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Stephen Maturen Getty 26/30 Getty 27/30 A protester reacts after inhaling tear gas Getty 28/30 Getty Images 29/30 Protesters use shopping carts as a barricade Getty Images 30/30 Protesters clash with the police as they demonstrate against the death of George Floyd AFP via Getty Images 1/30 Police spray mace at protestors to break up a gathering near the Minneapolis Police third precinct after a white police officer was caught on a bystander's video pressing his knee into the neck of African-American man George Floyd, who later died at a hospital, in Minneapolis Reuters 2/30 A protester holds a sign with an image of George Floyd AP 3/30 Protesters demonstrate against the death of George Floyd AFP via Getty 4/30 A protester throws a piece of wood on a fire in the street just north of the 3rd Police Precinct Getty 5/30 People in other US cities also protested the murder, like Los Angeles AFP via Getty 6/30 Getty 7/30 AP 8/30 Reuters 9/30 AFP via Getty 10/30 AFP via Getty 11/30 AFP via Getty 12/30 A police officer lobs a canister to break up crowds Reuters 13/30 A protester is treated after inhaling tear gas Getty 14/30 Two police officers stand on the roof of the Third Police Precinct during a face off with a group of protesters Getty 15/30 Protesters outside a Minneapolis police precinct two days after George Floyd died EPA 16/30 Protesters run from tear gas Reuters 17/30 AP 18/30 Demonstrators gather to protest in Los Angeles AP 19/30 Police remove barricades set by protesters AFP via Getty 20/30 Getty 21/30 A fire burns inside of an Auto Zone store near the Third Police Precinct Getty 22/30 Flowers, signs and balloons are left near a makeshift memorial to George Floyd near the spot where he died AFP via Getty 23/30 A policeman faces a protester holding a placard in downtown Los Angeles AFP via Getty 24/30 A couple poses with a sign in Los Angeles AFP via Getty 25/30 MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 27: A man is tended to after sustaining an injury from a projectile shot by police outside the 3rd Police Precinct building on May 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Four Minneapolis police officers have been fired after a video taken by a bystander was posted on social media showing Floyd's neck being pinned to the ground by an officer as he repeatedly said, "I cant breathe". Floyd was later pronounced dead while in police custody after being transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Stephen Maturen Getty 26/30 Getty 27/30 A protester reacts after inhaling tear gas Getty 28/30 Getty Images 29/30 Protesters use shopping carts as a barricade Getty Images 30/30 Protesters clash with the police as they demonstrate against the death of George Floyd AFP via Getty Images

Now-former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with murder on Friday following the killing of Mr Floyd four days earlier, when video captured Mr Chauvin kneeling into the neck of Mr Floyd for several minutes while he cried out that he couldn't breathe.

His death and the delay to place the officers at the scene in custody galvanised an uproar across the US as communities raged against police killings of black Americans and people of colour.

The president doubled down on his warning that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" — which Twitter had censored for the company's rules about messages promoting or glorifying violence — by claiming he was saying "it was spoken as a fact, not as a statement".

"It's very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media," he said on Friday.

For more than five hours that night, dozens of protesters reached the barriers in front of the White House, which was initially placed in lock down, and pushed up to face riot shields and Secret Service members.

Protestors managed to break through barricades, which were frequently replaced, as police fired pepper spray into crowds and thousands of other residents protested throughout Washington DC.