Madison's mayor calls threat to deploy U.S. soldiers "unwelcome and unacceptable"

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s office said in a release Saturday that it has contacted the White House to say that President's Trump threat to deploy active-duty soldiers to U.S. cities is "unwelcome and unacceptable."

The President on Monday promised to mobilize military forces to quell protests and unrest across the county, regardless if local officials consent or not.

Rhodes-Conway said in the release Saturday that the president's announcement is "neither warranted nor welcome."

"The effort to make meaningful, structural change to protect Black lives can, and must be, advanced in legal and righteous peaceful protest. We hear our community and we support this peaceful advocacy," the mayor said in the release.

"Deploying the U.S. military to the streets of Madison or other cities would send the wrong signal and undermine needed efforts to address issues of police reform," according to the release.

The mayor adds that she supports a bill that would amend the Insurrection Act, which might allow such a mobilization, in order to require Congress's authorization before soldiers could be used to end unrest.

That bill was introduced by lawmakers Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), and caucus whip Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota).