Attorney general barr good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for joining us at this remote press conference. Over the constitution avenue entrance to this holding is a latin inscription. Translates, everything is created by law order. That principle still holds true. Our free Society Depends on the rule of law, the assurance that ordinary citizens can go about their lives without being subject to arbitrary violence or fear. When the rule of law breaks down, the promise of america does also. Our nation is now confronting two serious challenges to the rule of law. Onefirst is a longstanding , but was recently crystallized and driven home by the killing of george floyd in minneapolis. The video of the Police Conduct in this episode is harrowing. And imaginech it that one of your own loved ones was being treated this way, and begging for their lives, it is impossible for any normal human being not to be struck to the heart with horror. Pursued by is being both the state and the federal government. The state has filed, already, Second Degree murder charges against one of the officers, and aiding and abetting charges against the other three officers. As we typically do in cases such as this, the department of justice and the fbi is conducting a parallel land independent investigator independent investigation into possible violations of federal civil rights laws. The president has directed me to spare no effort. We are coordinating our work with the attorney general of matter of and ias a the department of justice typically lets the state go forward with its proceedings first. This afternoon, our United States attorney in minnesota and the fbi special agent in charge of our minneapolis field office, the fbis field office, will attend a Memorial Service for mr. Floyd. Mourning, and of the days coming soon, i am confident, when that justice will be served. George floyds death was not the first of its kind. And it exposes concerns that reach far beyond this particular case. While the vast majority of Police Officers do their job bravely and righteously, it is undeniable that many africanamericans lack confidence in our american criminal justice system. This must change. Equalnstitution mandates protection of the laws, and nothing less is acceptable. As the nations leading federal Law Enforcement agency, the department of justice will do its part. Sentieve that police chief Law Enforcement officials and leaders around the country are committed to ensuring that racism plays no part in law , and that everyone receives equal protection of the laws. In october 2019, the president established the First Commission on Law Enforcement since the 1960s, and i am meeting with them later this month. And i have been talking to Law Enforcement leaders around the country, and in the weeks and months ahead, we will be working with Community Leaders to find constructive solutions, so that mr. Floyds death will not have been in vain. We will work hard to bring good out of bad. Unfortunately, the aftermath of George Floyds death has produced a second challenge to the rule of law. While many have peacefully expressed their anger and grief, others have hijacked protests to engage in lawlessness, violent rioting, arson, looting of businesses and public property, assault on Law Enforcement officers and innocent people, and even the murder of a federal agent. Such senseless acts of anarchy are not exercises of First Amendment rights. They are crimes designed to terrify fellow citizens and intimidate communities. Monday,d the governors we understand the distinction between three different sets of actors here. The large preponderance of those who are protesting our peaceful who are exercising their First Amendment rights. However,emonstrations, there are groups that exploit the opportunity to engage in such rhymes as looting. And finally, at some demonstrations, there are extremist agitators who are hijacking the protests to pursue violentn separate and agenda. We have evidence that antifa and other similar stream missed groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions, have been involved participating and in the violent activity. And we are also seeing foreign actors laying all sides, to exacerbate the violence. The department of justice is working to restore order in the District Of Columbia and around the nation. Here in washington, we are working with local police, the citizensoldiers of the National Guard, and other federal agencies to provide safety and justice. We have deployed all the major lawenforcement components of the department on this mission, including the fbi, the atf, the dea, the bureau of prisons, and the u. S. Marshals service. Their leaders are with me today and we will be talking shortly. I think all these leaders and for workingents, bravely and professionally to protect the district. I am pleased to say that, especially over the last two nights the demonstrations, while large, have been peaceful. The Justice Department is also working closely with our state and local partners to address violent riots around the country. Our federal Law Enforcement efforts are focused on the violent instigators. Through the fbi, u. S. Attorney offices, component field offices, and state and local enforcement, we are receiving realtime intelligence and we have deployed resources to quell outbreaks of violence in several places. I urge governors and mayors and other state and local leaders to work closely with the National Guard and with us. The federal government has thus far made 51 arrests for federal crimes in connection with violent rioting. We will continue to investigate, to make arrests, and to prosecute when warranted. When i was attorney general in 1992, riots broke out in los angeles following the acquittal by the state of Police Officers accused of beating rodney king. Ultimately, the department of justice at my direction filed federal civil rights charges against those officers. As president bush assured the nation at that time, quote, the violence will end, justice will be served, hope will return. The same is true today. The rule of law will prevail. Thank you. Now i would like to introduce my colleague, chris wray, the director of the fbi. And i have to say this is the fbi that ive had the pleasure of working with the last few days, the fbi that i know and love that have really stood up , here and performed magnificently, not only here in d. C. , but around the country and in all their field offices. And their enforcement functions, their intelligence functions are now in full gear. And i am confident, with the fbis leadership, we are going to deal effectively with the criminals who were involved in extremist violence. Chris. Director wray thank you, general, for your leadership. Good morning. This is an incredibly challenging time for our country and for all the citizens we serve. I want to begin by expressing my deepest sympathies for george floyd and his family. Like most of you, i was appalled and profoundly troubled by the video images of the incident that ended with mr. Floyds tragic death. Within hours of his death on may 25, the fbi had opened a criminal investigation to determine whether the actions by the former Minneapolis PoliceDepartment Officers involved violated federal law. We are moving quickly in that investigation, and we are going to follow the facts wherever they may lead in our pursuit of justice. Mr. Floyds family, like a lot of families who have lost loved ones in recent weeks, are suffering right now and trying to find a way forward. In fact, our entire country is trying to find a way forward. Thats because this is not just about george floyd. This is about all of those over the years who have been unjustifiably killed or had their rights violated by people entrusted with their protection. When Law Enforcement fails to fulfill its most basic duty to protect and serve its citizens, particularly members of minority community, it not only tarnishes the badge we all wear but erodes the trust that so many of us in Law Enforcement have worked so hard to build. And when people feel that we havent lived up to the trust they place in us, it is understandable they want to speak out and protest. And the fbi holds sacred the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment freedoms. Nonviolent protests are signs of a healthy democracy, not an ailing one. The fbis mission is to protect the American People and uphold the constitution. That mission is both dual and simultaneous. It is not contradictory. In engaging with our communities during these protests, we in Law Enforcement must balance the safety and security of our communities with our citizens Constitutional Rights. One need not and must not come at the expense of the other. In recent days, the violence, threat to life and destruction of property that we have seen in some parts of the country jeopardizes the rights and safety of all citizens, including peaceful demonstrators. And it has to stop. We are seeing people who are exploiting the situation to extremistlent, agendas. Anarchists like antifa, and other agitators. These individuals have set out to sow discord and up people, rather than restoring justice. And by driving us apart, they are undermining the work of those trying to bring us together, our community and religious leaders, elected officials, Law Enforcement, and citizens alike. Many have suffered from the violence instigated through these radicals and extremists, including members of our own Law Enforcement family. Officers killed or gravely injured while just doing their jobs, fulfilling their duty to the public by trying to keep everyone safe. To be clear, we are not in any way trying to discourage peaceful protesters. And to those citizens who are out there making your voices heard, through peaceful lawful protests, let me say this. We in Law Enforcement hear you. We have to make sure our policing and mystic asians are conducted with the professionalism and commitment to equal justice that you all deserve. But we are also committed to identifying, investigating, and stopping individuals who are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity. So at the fbi, we are focusing our efforts on supporting Law Enforcement partners with maintaining Public Safety in the communities we are all sworn to protect. We are making sure we are tightly latched up with our state and local Law Enforcement partners across the country by setting up 24hour command posts in all our 56 field offices. We have directed our 200 joint Terrorism Task forces to assist Law Enforcement with apprehending and charging violent agitators who are hijacking peaceful protests. On a national level, we are soliciting tips, leads, and Video Evidence of criminal activities through our national , threat operations center. And over the past few days, ive been speaking with Law Enforcement leaders in various parts of the country to ensure that we are providing the support they need, and to let them know that in every community, the fbi stands ready to assist wherever we can. The relationships we have built with our Law Enforcement and Community Partners are more important now than ever. Because the reality is, we cant do our jobs without the trust of the American People. I want to close by reiterating that the fbi will remain steadfast in its mission to protect the American People and uphold the constitution. Protecting Civil Liberties and civil rights has been part of our mission since the days of the civil rights movement. Those investigations are at the heart of what we do, for the simple reason that Civil Liberties and civil rights are at the very heart of who we are as americans. Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal government largely left protection of civil rights to state and local governments. And it took the Mississippi Burning case and the Civil Rights Act for the federal government to end the fbi to get off the sidelines and to begin to fully protect civil rights for all people of color. Since then, we have been working hard to identify and prevent hate crimes, and to investigate abuses of power and authority. Our civil rights cases are among the most important work we do and that will never change. , i will repeat today what i have long believed about the men and women of Law Enforcement. It takes an incredibly special person to willingly put his or her life on the line for a complete stranger. And to get up day after day after day and do that and it is extraordinary. And do that is extraordinary. And in these turbulent times, we wont forget the bravery of our Law Enforcement members who have risked life and safety to protect the public and keep the peace. But the difficulty of that job does not diminish the role we play in society, which is to protect and serve all citizens no matter their race, creed, orientation, or station in life. When we lose sight of those solemn obligations to the citizens we serve, the protectors can quickly become the oppressors, particularly for communities of color. As Law Enforcement, we are bound by an oath to serve all members of our community with equal compassion, professionalism, dignity, and respect. The American People should expect nothing less from us. Thank you. Director washington good morning. I am donald washington, director of the United States marshals service. First of all, thank you, attorney general. Let me begin by especially noting that today marks the first of three days in which the family, friends, and loved ones will host memorials to honor the life of george floyd in minnesota, north carolina, and texas. On behalf of the men and women of the United States marshals service, and personally, i extend my deepest sympathy and my heartfelt condolences to the family of george floyd. What started as peaceful protests in minnesota after the death of mr. Floyd has morphed into a national emergency, resulting in many injuries to many people, thousands of arrests, along with arson, theft, and vandalism to property in many cities. As of last night, u. S. Marshals report damage and vandalism to 21 federal courthouses located in 15 states and the District Of Columbia. There has been damage and vandalism to many other federal properties. The u. S. Marshals service is assisting other agencies in efforts to address violent disturbances that have occurred in the District Of Columbia and in other cities around the United States. Peaceful protests are good for our country. This right should be respected bile persons, and this right all persons, and this right absolutely deserves the full protection of officers of the law. Among our basic functions is the absolute duty to protect people who are exercising Constitutional Rights. However, rioters, arsonists, thieves, looters, and their protagonists are criminals. They have undermined peaceful and lawful demonstrations and protests. These criminals threaten our basic Constitutional Rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and they must be brought to justice. Since the earliest days just after our nations birth, u. S. Marshals have worked to ensure the rule of law by making sure that the federal judiciary and the federal judicial process operate unfettered and unintimidated. We have also worked tirelessly over the years to bring thousands and thousands of and today,o justice one of our primary missions is to find and protect endangered children. In the last week, u. S. Marshals have coordinated with u. S. Attorneys and state and local partners to protect protesters and to address the criminal acts of others. Deputy u. S. Marshals are assisting with and conducting criminal investigations required by the criminal acts of persons who are instigating and causing violence against persons and property, where such acts violate federal laws. Working with our local Law Enforcement partners, we are also securing federal properties threatened by criminal acts and protecting persons from the violent acts of others. I believe strongly that this special mission is important to our democracy. We will protect those who are engaged in lawful protests, but we will arrest those who commit felonies in our presence. We are working Violent Crime warrants and investigating gang activities that incite riots or terrorism. We are assisting and partnering with federal, state, and local authorities consistent with our broad federal jurisdiction. To our local governments and private sector leaders, we know we are stronger, much stronger, when we work together. We will achieve our collective goals of protecting lawful protesters and lawful protests while also enforcing the law. I do not pretend even for a moment to speak for the other leaders here, but i am certain that we all want local leaders to have the confidence and the conviction to request and utilize all available resources to fight violence and to protect our communities. The u. S. Marshals service is your partner, too. In summary, the u. S. Marshals service will continue to perform our many daytoday missions and we will also assist our federal, state, and local partners during this emergency. We will work urgently to keep citizens and Law Enforcement safe. I thank our concerned citizens for their patience and continuing support and i look forward to any questions you might have. Thank you. Acting director lombardo good afternoon. My name is regina lombardo, the acting director of atf. For many special agents, one of the proudest moments is when you raise your right hand to take the oath of office to support and defend the United States constitution. And we take that oath seriously. However, in the moment, we dont know exactly what we will be faced with, what challenges we will have to overcome in order to uphold that oath that we took. In this moment today, we express our warmest sympathies to the family of george floyd and acknowledge the pain and suffering of his family. We also have sympathy for those who are suffering across the country. Unfortunately, where our constitutionally protected right to peacefully assemble has sometimes turned to riots and criminal acts, the resulting oflence involved crimes atfs core mission, shootings, burglaries, arsons, bombings, especially destructive devices such as a molotov cocktail. At the request of the attorney general, atf has provided every available resource. We have deployed a large number of special agents, our special Response Team here in our nations capital. We have supported the washington metropolitan Police Department, the United States secret service, and the United States park police to protect the public, property, and the National Landmarks that belong to each and every one of you. Our national Response Teams are here in washington, d. C. , in order to quickly respond to the emerging arson incidents. We are working with the d. C. Fire to investigate the seven incendiary fires in the d. C. Area caused by criminals, including the arson at st. Johns church, the aflcio, the National Park service building, and the d. C. Fire district four Police Department. The individual we believe responsible for that fire at the metro pds Fourth District has been arrested and charged. Our certified fire investigators, chemists, and engineers and explosives specialists are working around the clock to support the ongoing safety of operations. Across the country, atf special agents, industry operation investigators from all divisions are responding to shootings, arsons, bombings, and theft of federal firearms license dealers. We are providing investigative support and assistance to all of our local and state partners. Atf has responded to numerous shooting scenes at the disturbances of cities and is actively working with Law Enforcement and we are entering those shell casings into our National Integrated ballistic information network. Our National Tracing Center is running traces on the cupboard firearms, and we are collecting dna from shell casings and ballistic evidence. Our crimes and Intelligence Centers are collecting valuable intelligence, and sharing all of that information in a joint environment. Atfs jttf representatives are working with the fbi in multiple cities, as well as our department of justice partners, the u. S. Marshals service, the dea, and the bureau of prisons all state and local land federal Law Enforcement working in partnership. Our special agents and certified fire investigators are tracking and assisting more than 847 arsons over 76 explosive incidents, and providing valuable Technical Expertise and intelligence support. Two of our national Response Teams, nrt, have been activated and responding to minneapolis and st. Paul, minnesota. We have developed efficient and effective strategies to triage and quickly assess the scenes , even in an unstable environment. Atf has also responded to 73 federal firearms licensed dealers. We have identified many suspects and made arrests and recovered , many firearms already. We have responded to assaults and murders of our Law Enforcement partners. Our team of atf professionals at our National Correlation center, our laboratories, and tracing center are working day and night to make those arrests. We are on the streets, making cases and protecting the American Public from violent criminals. You do not have to be in Law Enforcement to know that this is dangerous work. Atf has answered the call. As the attorney general stated, the most basic function of government is to provide security for the people who live twothe people, till provide security for the people, to live their lives and exercise their rights. We will meet that responsibility. This is our mission and we deeply are committed to that mission to protect and serve. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. My name is michael, the director of the federal bureau of prisons. The bureau of prisons staff, our federal Law Enforcement officers who are often called upon to , assist during crisis situations within our communities. The attorney general asked the b. O. P. To assist other agencies in maintaining peace in the District Of Columbia. B,o,p, Crisis Management teams are highly trained to deal with emergency situations including crowd control. They are experienced in confrontational avoidance and conflict resolution. In the aftermath of the tragic death of george floyd, it is unfortunate that these services are necessary. On behalf of the b. O. P. And its 36,000 staff, i extend our greatest sympathies to the family for his loss. We also respect the rights of the public to express their frustration and grief. We appreciate those who want to ensure that the events surrounding mr. Floyds death will not happen again. It is a shame that the voices of are being drowned out by those inciting violence. The voices of are being drowned out by those inciting violence. I am proud of our staff every day and i am honored that they , were called upon to assist our communities. Thank you. Mr. Shea i am the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement administration, and im honored to represent the brave men and women of the dea and to share with you the important work our special agents have been performing the last few days. But first, i would like to join the attorney general and take a moment to express my sincere condolences on behalf of myself and the men and women of the dea , to the family and friends of george floyd, as well as to all those who mourn his passing. It is a tragedy for us, too, in Law Enforcement. The deas mission, like all Law Enforcement partners, is to protect the American People. Before they receive their badge and credentials, every one of our special agents takes an oath to uphold the constitution and the rule of law. And that is exactly what they are doing this week. As is the case with other significant events, our agents have been authorized to respond as needed to violations of federal law. Of what our agency has done to assist our state and local partners, to ensure that those who wish to peacefully protest may do so in safety and without fear of violence. While these events have been largely peaceful, agitators continue to attempt to sow chaos. We have recovered weapons. Weve had rocks thrown at our vehicles. And our agents, along with other Law Enforcement partners, have endured the continued verbal assaults. And during that time, our agents have acted professionally and admirably under these difficult conditions. Dea special agents are providing security, conducting threat assessments, sharing that information on potential violations of federal law in realtime. In addition, the dea continues to investigate drugrelated crimes, including the theft of controlled substances from looted pharmacies, which is happening here in the District Of Columbia and around the country. In the national or capital region, approximately or over 150 dea special agents have partnered with the metropolitan Police Department at the request at their request, and the National Guard, to enforce security posts and maintain a secure perimeter in designated areas. Dea has provided over 11 mobile teams, whoams, srt are prepared to respond to high risk situations and other requests for assistance , including medical services. Dea owes much of its success in enforcing our nations drug laws to the assistance provided by the very federal, state, and local partners that need our help now. Every dea agent on the street helps free up one of our local Law Enforcement counterparts to carry out their policing functions and protect the public. Dea is committed to providing that support as long as it is needed, requested, and authorized. Our country was founded upon basic principles and rights. And chief among them is the right of free speech and the right to assemble peaceably. We are supporting those rights and the peaceful demonstrators by ensuring their voices can be heard, and that those seeking to exploit this situation are held to account. Attorney general barr thank and attorney general barr thank you. And with that, i will open it up to questions. To ask a question, you may press star one. 1 to ask a question. Todays first question comes from Pete Williams with nbc news. Go ahead. Reporter mr. Attorney general, washington, d. C. , has experience in dealing with large, complex events that include protests or meetings of world leaders. Why did you think it was necessary for you to take command of this . And where does that Authority Come from . Well, i general barr think the rioting got going 29, and got worse and worse over the weekend. It culminated or came to a crescendo on sunday evening right around the white house, on h street, on the northern side of Lafayette Park. And it was very serious rioting. The treasury annex, Treasury Department annex was broken into. A Historical Building on Lafayette Park, which is federal property, was burned down. There was a fire set at the historical st. Johns church right there, across from the white house. And an old church that goes back to the 18th century, and is referred to as the church of president s. The rioters used crowbars to dig out the pavers at Lafayette Park and used them as projectiles, thrown at secret service and other federal agents. There were numerous head injuries among the federal personnel whose responsibility is to protect the white house. Just to give you an indication, from saturday until today, and virtually the lions share of these injuries came over the weekend, there were 114 injuries to Law Enforcement. Most of those to federal agents and most of those inflicted right around the white house. There were 22 hospitalizations, and most of those were serious head injuries or concussions that required monitoring and treatment. On monday, the president asked me to coordinate the various federal Law Enforcement agencies, not only the multiple department of justice agencies, but also other agencies such as those in the department of homeland security, so we had a coordinated response, and worked with the National Guard and also with the d. C. Police. That morning, we decided that we needed more of a buffer to protect the white house and protect our agents and secret Service Personnel who could be reached by projectiles from the street. I made the decision that we would try to move our perimeter northward by a block to provide this additional protection. And later, at 2 00 on monday, i met with all the various Law Enforcement agencies, and we set our tactical plan. And that plan involved moving our perimeter block north to i street. It was our hope to be able to do that relatively quickly, before many demonstrators appeared that day. Unfortunately, because of the difficulty in getting appropriate forces and units into place, by the time they were able to move our perimeter up to street, there had been a large number of protestors that had assembled on h street. There were projectiles being thrown, and the group was becoming increasingly unruly, and the operation they were asked three times if they would move back one block. They refused. And we proceeded to move our perimeter out to i street. It is true that the metropolitan police have a lot of experience in dealing with demonstrations. But we have a lot of federal this is the federal city. It is the seat of the federal government. Many of the buildings, as you know, and facilities here, and the monuments, are the responsibility of the federal government, and the proceedings and process of the federal government take place here. And so when you have a large scale civil disturbance that is damaging federal property, threatening federal property, threatening federal Law Enforcement officers, threatening the officials in government and their offices, and our great monuments, its the responsibility of the federal government to render that protection. And we do so in close coordination with the metropolitan Police Department. Fortunately, later that evening on monday, after we did establish a buffer zone, we were able to finish that day without further significant violence from the demonstrators, and the following two days were peaceful. The assemblies and the protests were peaceful. So were pleased with that. Were working closely with the metropolitan police to plan out the remainder of the week. Next question. Our next question comes from abc news. Go ahead. Good afternoon, attorney general barr. A couple of questions for you, if i may. Yesterday, the department charged three members of the group or associated with the group boogaloo, a far right extremist group, known as a far right extremist group. Is it important in your remarks and thoughts to point out all the different groups that are involved in this type of violent activity . Is, do second question you have any ideas on if they could have been in how more surgical they operated on monday . And many who were moved were forcibly removed were peaceful protesters, sir. Attorney general barr well, i do think it is important to point out the witches brew we have of extremist groups that are involved. And that is why in my prepared statement, i specifically said in addition to antifa and , other extremist groups like antifa, there were a variety of groups and people of a variety of ideological persuasions, so i did make that point. Im not going to get too the intelligence being collected by the u. S. Attorneys office is particularly integrated by the f. B. I. From multiple different sources, is building up. There are some specific cases antifa individuals, some related. A lot of the extremists are involved in egging on violence and participating in violence, providing the means of violence, and, you know, were pursuing those cases. At the same time, there is a lot of, i would also add, there is a lot of disinformation out there. People posing as different as members of different groups. So you sometimes have to dig a little deeper to determine exactly what is going on. And there are some groups that dont have a particular ideology other than anarchy. There are some groups that want to bring about a civil war, Boogaloo Group that has been on the margin of this as well, trying to exacerbate the violence. So we are dealing with a witches brew of a lot of different extremist organizations. Chris would have something to add to that. Director wray sure. Quite someaid for time, we at the fbi have quite a number of ongoing investigations of violent extremists, including those motivated by antifa or antifalike ideology. And we treat those as terrorist investigations and are actively pursuing them as joint terrorist task force. In terms of the current unrest while the majority of protestors , are peaceful there are , certainly instigators, agitators and opportunists seeking to explore these demonstrations to commit violence or rioting. And exactly who these people are, whose driving them, whats driving them what tactics they use, varies widely sometimes from city to city, sometimes even from night to night. And were working with all of our Law Enforcement partners to gather as much information as we can about that topic, and to bring federal charges where appropriate. Appropriate and possible. So were about the violence. Were not about the ideology. And it doesnt matter what your ideology is. If you commit violence or rioting or acts that we would consider terrorism, were going to pursue it. Attorney general barr the second part of your question, pierre, one of the difficulties is that, while there are peaceful demonstrators and participants in these protests, the instigators, those committed to violence, basically is shield themselves by going among them and carrying out acts of violence. Those projectiles, i saw the projectiles on monday when i went to Lafayette Park to look at the situation. And as one of the officials said, he pointed out various knots of people where the projectiles were coming from and we could see,there was a lot of demonstrators, and its hard to know exactly where they are coming from. Frequently these things are , thrown from the rear of the demonstration. But we could not continue to protect the federal property involved and protect the safety of our agents with such a tight perimeter, so our object was to move it out by one block. The next question, please. Our next question comes from david with fox news. Please go ahead. Hello, mr. Attorney general. Yesterday your colleague over at the department of defense, secretary esper, expressed some regret in the way things were handled at Lafayette Park, lafayette square, posing in a picture with president trump, he says he wants to stay apolitical and stay out of things. As you mentioned, you had this job in 1992. You saw this during the rodney king riots. What do you think about politics . And do you believe youre being too political in this by standing in a picture with the president in front of the church . What is your take on this compared to what secretary esper said . Attorney general barr yeah, i dont know what he was conveying there. Obviously, my interest was to carry out the Law Enforcement functions of the federal government and to protect federal facilities and federal personnel. Rsonnel. Rioting, to address the and also, to address the rioting that was interfering with the governments function, and that was what we were doing. I think the president is the head of the executive branch and the chief executive of the nation, and should be able to walk outside the white house and walk across the street to the church of president s. I dont necessarily view that as a political act. I think it was entirely appropriate for him to do. I did not know that he was going to do that until later in the were well our plans underway to move the perimeter. So there was no correlation between our tactical plan of moving the perimeter out by one block, and the president s going over to the church. The president asked members of his cabinet to go over there with him, the two that were present, and i think it was appropriate for us to go over with him. Next question. Thank you, sir. Our next question comes from mike with the associated press. Please go. Thank you, mr. Attorney general. Can you expand on your comments that foreign actors are responsible, or working to exploit all sides here . And do you believe its an organized effort from foreign governments, and you identified which countries are responsible for that . And i have a separate question if i could, right after that. Attorney general barr okay. May i ask chris if he cares to provide a little more detail. Im not sure how much detail you want to get into, but people shouldnt think that countries that are hostile to the United States, that their efforts to influence the u. S. Or weaken the the u. S. Or sow discord in the u. S. Comes and goes with the election cycle. It is constant. And they are constantly trying to sow discord among our people and there is a lot of disinformation that circulates that way. And i believe that we have evidence that some of the foreign hackers and groups that are associated with foreign governments are focusing in on this particular here, andwe have trying to exacerbate it in every way they can. Unless chris has something to add to i can turn it over to , you. there is not a whole lot i can say here, other than to say unfortunately its not unusual for foreign actors to choose to try to amplify events in this country to sow divisiveness and discord. And in particular, through the use of stateassociated media and some of those countries, but also social media provides a bullhorn up more ier to gin controversy where controversy may already exist and try to generate upheaval in that regard , and those foreign actors should know were watching it extremely closely and are prepared to act if necessary. Attorney general barr whats your question for mr. Carvajal . Can you express some concerns about the g. O. P. Specifically that some offers around d. C. Have said they have been specifically told not to tell people that they work for the federal government. And last night, we learned an inmate in brooklyn had died after officers used pepper splay on him after he barricaded himself. Do you have any concerns there that nonlethal force resulted in someones death . Thank you, mike, for the question. And let me clarify this. First of all, im not wear of any specific Bureau Prisons or personnel being told not to identify themselves. What i attribute that to is probably the fact that we normally operate within the confines of our institution and we dont need to identify ourselves. Most of our identification is institution specific, and probably wouldnt mean a whole lot to people in d. C. I probably should have done a better job of marking them nationally as the agency. The point is well taken but i , assure you that no one was specifically told, to my knowledge, not to identify themselves. As for your question regarding the incident in brooklyn, what i can tell you, we did do a press release with the information in there. It was, as you stated, an incident involving a disruptive individual down in a cell. The officers did utilize pepper spray, as you say, o. C. , and afterward, the individual unfortunately died. What i will tell you is we immediately referred the case to the fbi and the officer Inspector General. And i was actually told, notified this morning that the officer Inspector General is going to take that case. And thats about all i can comment on because the matter is under investigation. Attorney general barr let me just add that the bureau of prison teams are used frequently for Emergency Response and emergency situations, either civil disturbances or hurricanes or other things like that. They are highly trained units. And in fact, in the department of justice, we do not really have large numbers of units that are trained to deal with civil disturbances. I know that a lot of people may be looking back on history and , say we can call on hundreds and hundreds of u. S. Marshals, and thats simply not the case. Our marshals Response Force is approximately 100 u. S. Marshals. So historically, when there have been emergencies where we have to respond with people who do have experience in these kind of emergencies, they are highly trained people. We use what are called sort teams, Response Teams, from the bureau of prisons. Now, in the federal system, we dont wear badges with our names. The agents dont wear with their names and stuff like that which many , civilian, nonfederal Police Agencies do. And i could understand why some of these individuals simply wouldnt want to talk to people about who they are if that, in , fact, was the case. Ill take the next question. The next question comes from sandy with the wall street journal. Please go ahead. Your line is open now. Hi, there. Im hoping you can explain how you coordinate the National Guard deployment and movement in and around washington with the various federal Law Enforcement agencies. Is it you who communicates the orders to the and how does that work . Attorney general barr it largely depends on who they are supporting at that time. Some of the National Guard were supporting the met moat Police Department, and some of them would be out beyond the white house perimeter, working the streets with mpd. So they would be tactically attached there. Others, we ask the National Guard to protect federal monuments, and so a number of the units, maybe even i wont speculate about a majority, but a lot of the units were dispersed around the city to protect federal monuments and particular federal facilities. Those that were within the white house area, and were part of protecting the white house and Lafayette Park area, were under the direction of the Tactical Commanders in that area. But in terms of requesting the resources and asking for their assistance, that was ultimately my responsibility of ensuring that the National Guard, that we needed to support Law Enforcement and support the district, were brought to bear. Next question. Next question comes from katy with the new york times. Please go ahead. Hi, mr. Attorney general. Thank you so much for doing this press conference. I have two questions, but the most important is, i would like to ask you your thoughts on police abuse of power. Last year at a Law Enforcement conference you said such abuse was bad apples more than systemic beakdowns. Thetoday you said, its not first of its kind, and while the vast number of officers do their job greatly, its no surprise that a majority of africanamericans lack confidence in Law Enforcement. Looking at a systemic issue, or a shift over time . Attorney general barr no. My views havent shifted recently, and what you quoted, i think, is consistent. And you were addressing, you know, the use of Excessive Force, is that right, katy . Is that what you were addressing . Yes, Excessive Force, police abuse, yeah. Attorney general barr i do think that those who engage in Excessive Force that involves, you know remember, federal civil rights laws address willful use of Excessive Force. And those that engage in that kind of activity, i think, a distinct minority. And i think the overwhelming number of Police Officers try conscientiously to use appropriate and reasonable force. And my second question was, it seems that were ratcheting up in the district, the tools and the power of the federal response. Getting dea, federal power to make arrests, and i wonder why its happening now. Because it seems the streets have been relatively calm and there is no think thatght, and i is because the mayor, she has confidence that weve returned to order. Attorney general barr well, actually, after assessing the situation last night toward the end of the evening, maybe early in the morning, i felt that we could afford to collapse our perimeter, and eliminate some of the checkpoints and so forth and take more of a low profile footprint, for a couple of reasons. Number one, i think that we have seen a sharp reduction in violent episodes, and peaceful demonstrations, and our hope and expectation is that those will responsibility. And also, because we now have on hand sufficient resources, we feel, to deal with that contingency if violence increases. So i do think that, over the weekend, and certainly at the beginning of this week, we had a phenomenon around the country with a number of cities getting extremely violent. A lot of officers have been hurt around the country and a lot of victims, a lot of proper duty a lot of property damage. And as i said, on sunday, it was probably the peak of violence in d. C. And on monday, we were still facing very large demonstration that is were belligerent and throwing projectiles, although the evening ultimately ended more peacefully. As i told the governors on monday, its very important to use sufficient Law Enforcement to establish law and order in a city when you have riots running. If you use insufficient resources, its dangerous for everybody. Its dangerous for the officers. Its dangerous for the protestors. Its dangerous for the population because things can , easily get out of control and you lose control of events. Thats what riots are. And the way to address it is to make sure the resources are there, and that people understand the resources are there to deal with that kind of violence. And i think once that occurred, it provides an environment where things could quiet down, and they did quiet and hopefully they will stay quieted down. I think that was it. I appreciate everyones and the Justice Department components and their leaders. Thank you. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] here is a look at our live coverage on friday. 12 00 p. M. Is turn on cspan, the archbishop of washington dc is part of a discussion on faith and action following the death of george floyd. Then the Congressional Black Caucus holds a town hall to talk about the nationwide protest and legislative proposals to adjust address racial injustice. On cspan2, secretary of state mike pompeo is set to hold a News Conference at the state department. Xios withssion from a bobby rush, Melvin Carter and terry johnson. Cspan has unfettered coverage covers of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court and Public Policy event. You can watch all of the public orairs programming online listen on our free radio app and be part of the National Conversation through our social media fee. Cspan, created by americas able Television Company as Public Service and brought to you by your television provider. Senate democrats joined the capital to honor george floyd and other African Americans who died in the recent week. Remind remained silent for eight minutes and 45 seconds, the amount of time that a police Neal Dunn George floyd posner before he died