President Trump told reporters Monday that the U.S. has "an Insurrection Act for a reason" — implying he could turn to the rarely used executive power in his push to send federal troops to Democrat-led cities.

Why it matters: Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to several cities have been slowed or temporarily blocked by judges. The Insurrection Act would help him effectively bypass the court rulings by tapping authority scholars have warned is overly broad and ripe for misuse. • A president hasn't invoked the Insurrection Act in decades.

Driving the news: Trump said Monday in the Oval Office he hasn't needed to use the Insurrection Act — "so far." But, he added, "we have an Insurrection Act for a reason." • He continued, "If people were being killed, and courts were holding

See Full Page