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Donald Trump told governors during a video conference from the Situation Room on Monday that they are 'weak' and need to 'dominate' cities ravaged by riots or they will look like 'jerks.' 

'You have to dominate, if you don't dominate you're wasting your time. They're going to run over you, you're going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate,' audio of the call revealed.

'The only time it's successful is when you're weak and most of you are weak,' he added, CNN reported, claiming that if governors and local leaders were more tough on rioters, there would be less destruction of their major cities.

'You've got to arrest people, you have to track people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you'll never see this stuff again,' Trump said during the 55-minute call. 'We're doing it in Washington, D.C. We´re going to do something that people haven't seen before.' 

'You're making a mistake because you're making yourselves look like fools,' he continued later in the call, claiming that they need to activate more National Guard support as a show of force on city streets.'And some have done a great job. But a lot of you, it's not – it's not a great day for our country.'

A person listening in on the call told CBS News that the president's message and tone was 'unhinged.' 

The called happened after:

• President Trump was whisked to a bunker while protesters descended on the White House, throwing Molotov cocktails and injuring 50 Secret Service agents 
• A protester was reportedly shot dead in Louisville, Kentucky 
• Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter was arrested at a protest in New York City 
• An armed vigilante in California pulled a gun on rioters who tried to hold up a bank 
• Across the country, peaceful protesters tried to stop violent opportunists from ransacking stores 
• In Louisville, protesters formed a human chain to protect one cop who became separated from his unit and outnumbered by crowds 
• Other cops dropped to their knees in shows of solidarity with protesters and some abandoned riot gear to march with crowds peacefully 
• In Minneapolis, a tanker plowed through crowds of protesters on a highway; he was then pulled from the rig and beaten by crowds 
• 
  

Trump specifically called out Minnesota, where the riots originated after Goerge Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white police officer there last week.

'What happened in the state of Minnesota, they were a laughing stock all over the world,' Trump said in the call.

'They took over the police department, the police were running down the street, sirens blazing, the rest of them running. It was on camera,' he said, referencing rioters who torched the Minneapolis police station on Friday.

'They'll probably have to build a new one,' Trump said. 'But I've never seen anything like it and the whole world was laughing.'

He then praised his work by talking with Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on activating the National Guard in the state to help the Twin Cities mitigate violent demonstrators.

Thousands of protesters were arrested across the country over the weekend as major cities are the most affected areas of rioting, looting and arson

Donald Trump, joined by Attorney General Bill Barr (pictured left), told governors during a teleconference in the Situation Room on Monday that they are 'weak' on rioters and need to 'dominate' by arresting and trying more people

Violent protesters surrounded the White House for a fourth day on Sunday and it was revealed that Donald Trump was taken, for a short period of time, to the bunker in the residence on Friday and has expressed he is concerned for his safety

Louis Vuitton had been boarded up but the looters ripped plywood from one window to break their way inside. George Floyd's name was scrawled on one of the boards 

A young man on a Citibike on Monday morning after taking from Balmain, one of the many stores that was looted on Sunday night

George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on Memorial Day as he was arrested by four police officers over allegedly trying to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. He was seen in a video pleading that he couldn't breathe as white officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck

'Once you cool down and you dominated, you took the worst place and you made it – they didn't even come there last night because there was so much less, because you dominated,' he lauded.

But right after the president's call with governors, Walz held a press conference where he said he would be working to demobilize the National Guard, which he had just activated a few days before upon the encouragement of the president. 

He said the state is working on a 'transition of our National Guard troops back to their homes and their jobs.'

'They take time out of their jobs, and many of them will be going back – some of them working as news reporters, some of them working as camera operators, some of them working as teachers. That will begin to happen,' Walz said.

Attorney General Bill Barr, who was also on the call, told governors that a joint terrorist task force would be used to track the agitators.

He also told local officials, lawmakers and enforcement to control what is going on in cities rather than react to crowds – and he urged them to 'go after troublemakers.'

The comments from Trump on increasing arrests come as more than 4,100 people were taken into custody across the country over the weekend in the at least 145 cities participating in protests, demonstrations and riots. 

President Trump held talks with his Barr, law enforcement officials and state leaders as violence continues to escalate in the sixth day of protests in cities all over the country in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Barr visited the White House for an Oval Office meeting with the president Monday morning, and shortly after, Trump hosted a video conference with governors, law enforcement leaders and national security officials in the Situation Room to discuss ways to keep American communities safe.

Cities across the nation appear war-torn after rioters set establishments and cars in the middle of streets on fire, smashed windows of local stores and looted their shelves and clashed with law enforcement. 

Trump had to flee to the White House bunker to shelter in place for a short period of time on Friday, it was revealed on Sunday, as protesters surrounding the White House. 

Many governors activated the National Guard in their states and sent them to cities being affected by protests turned to violence.  

Governors and mayors also went public, both on their own mediums and in interviews with networks, claiming that while they support rioters' right to gather, they are pleading for an end to the violence and destruction in their cities as a means of protesting. 

The president did not appear publicly on Sunday to address the rioters, who have engulfed the perimeter of the White House as well taken to the streets in several other U.S. cities, he did weigh in on Twitter, claiming that governors need to activate the National Guard in their states. 

He lauded the improvements over the weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota by the National Guard's presence – and while the demonstrations have appeared less violent since they started at the end of last week, police in the city said they discovered Sunday caches of homemade firebombs around the city. 

The president has told aides that he's concerned about his safety as the White House went dark after it turned off its lights in a rare move Sunday night while protests and riots continued a few hundred yards away from the residence.  

The rioters also set a fire to American Flags in Lafayette Square, the park adjacent to the North Lawn of the White House – and they were hit by tear gas by law enforcement. 

More than 50 Secret Service agents were injured in clashes with protesters in the nation's capital, and more than 4,100 people were arrested across the country over the weekend as everything from peaceful protests to riots emerged in at least 145 cities.  

The extraordinary images were taken Saturday amid the smoldering remains of the 3rd Precinct headquarters of the Minneapolis Police Department

The group of masked and gloved men used pliers and hammers to prize open the heavy metal chest while others rifled through files and ransacked burnout rooms with complete impunity

Minneapolis looters are caught on camera hacking at a safe inside the charred shell of an abandoned police precinct in surreal scenes that lay bare the wanton lawlessness gripping the US, exclusive photos by DailyMail.com show

Protesters set an American flag on fire at Lafayette Park in front of the White House as they rallied against police brutality on Sunday evening, and were hit with tear gas by law enforcement

D.C. was also among the 40 cities that imposed a curfew as riots escalated after sundown.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday that some of the protesters that terrorized the city overnight had come prepared with tools and supplies, and claimed that they set fires to draw police away from where they were planning to riot, loot and cause destruction.

'We recognize that people are frustrated and mad but tearing up our beautiful city is not the way to bring attention to what is a righteous cause,' Bowser told NBC News' Today.

Just after the 11:00 p.m. curfew passed, a fire broke out at St. John's Episcopal Church, which was spared from protests the day before. 

The riots broke out after video emerged of, George Floyd (pictured), being killed after a white police officer held his knee on his neck for eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Memorial Day

While Trump remained out of sight in the midst of the riots, his advisers discussed the prospect of an Oval Office address in an attempt to ease tensions. The notion was quickly scrapped for lack of policy proposals and the president's own seeming disinterest in delivering a message of unity.

Instead, Trump has urged governors to activate the National Guard, demanding they 'get tough, but has not sought control of the Army reservists himself to quell the nationwide riots.

The violence ensued after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed while in a white police officer's custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.

A cellphone video of the incident went viral where Derek Chauvin, 44, can be seen holding his knee on Floyd's neck during an arrest for more than eight minutes as the victim repeatedly said he could not breathe.

While Floyd was handcuffed, four cops, including Chauvin, were holding him down.

Chauvin was fired after the video emerged and taken into custody on Friday after the violent protesters demanded he be arrested – and he is being charged with third-degree murder.

The other three officers have not been arrested.

Trump has also blamed the media, Democrats and outside groups for exacerbating the riots – asserting on Sunday that he is classifying the far-left anti-fascists group Antifa as a terrorist organization.

Antifa has no official leaders, and it could appear their fingerprints are all over the riots as their demonstrations include violent tactics that they deem justifiable.

Donald Trump demanded that state and local lawmakers 'get tough' and call in the National Guard to their cities to help mitigate escalating riots in the midst of George Floyd's death

Trump said Democratic-run areas should look to Minneapolis as an example of how the National Guard can help with rioters. He also blamed much of the continued riots, including looting and arson, on governors and mayors not activating the National Guard to help mitigate violence in their cities

Minnesota did activate the Guard in their state, deploying them to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul 

Trump specifically mentioned the rioting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the state has not yet called in the National Guard – and lauded the job done by the Guard in Minneapolis

 

'Congratulations to our National Guard for the great job they did immediately upon arriving in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last night,' Trump tweeted Sunday morning. 'The ANTIFA led anarchists, among others, were shut down quickly. Should have been done by Mayor on first night and there would have been no trouble!'

Minnesota law enforcement say that they believe white supremacists have infiltrated the riots in Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to stoke violent demonstrators.

'They're agitators, 'Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell told CNN on Sunday, adding that there have been reports of Antifa members attending demonstrations.

While Trump does feel an outside group is involved, he asserted Monday that he does not believe that there were white supremacist groups mixed in with those protesting the death of George Floyd.

He instead doubled-down on blaming Antifa for the violent skirmishes with police.

'I don't see any indication that there were any white supremest groups mixing in. This is an ANTIFA Organization,' the president asserted.

'It seems that the first time we saw it in a major way was Occupy Wall Street. It's the same mindset,' Trump said, tagging 'Fox & Friends' host Brian Kilmeade and crediting him for the comment.

Derek Chauvin, 44, was arrested Friday on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, which has sparked violent protests

He also replied 'TRUE!' to the Kilmeade quote, and misspelled the word 'supremacist.'

Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was asked Friday about reports that White Supremacists were involved and he answered, 'My suspicions and what I've seen on this, yes.'

'It gets worse than that,' he added. 'The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drugs transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level.'

While governors and mayors scramble to create more peace in their major cities, the president is blaming them not calling in the National Guard for aggravating the violent situations.

'Get tough Democrat Mayors and Governors,' Trump urged in a tweet. 'These people are ANARCHISTS. Call in our National Guard NOW.'

'The World is watching and laughing at you and Sleepy Joe,' he continued, referring to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. 'Is this what America wants? NO!!!'

By Sunday evening, Trump followed up his calls for the National Guard with a tweet that simply read: 'LAW & ORDER!'

So far, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have deployed the Guard.

Rioters continue to take to the streets, becoming especially active after sundown, in major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and beyond. 

While there have been at least 4,100 arrests in cities across the country this weekend and countless protesters, rioters and law enforcement officials have been injured, there are at least five instances where people have been killed in the midst of the violence.

Gunfire rang out during the riots this weekend leading to deaths in Detroit, Michigan and Indianapolis, Indiana.

In Omaha, Nebraska, a 22-year-old black protester was killed in a struggle with a local business owner.

A man was shot dead by law enforcement officers in Louisville on Sunday on the fourth night of unrest in the city in a shooting believed to be linked to the protests.

Louisville's protests, in particular, have also focused on the March 13 death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door.

WHAT IS THE ANTI-FASCIST MOVEMENT (ANTIFA)

The anti-fascist protest movement known as antifa gained new prominence in the United States after the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA, in August 2017. 

In Charlottesville and at many subsequent events held by white supremacists or right-wing extremists, antifa activists have aggressively confronted what they believe to be authoritarian movements and groups. 

While most counter-protestors tend to be peaceful, there have been several instances where encounters between antifa and the far-right have turned violent.

The antifa sometimes use a logo with a double flag, usually in black and red

These violent counter-protesters are often part of 'antifa' (short for 'antifascist'), a loose collection of groups, networks and individuals who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements. Their ideology is rooted in the assumption that the Nazi party would never have been able to come to power in Germany if people had more aggressively fought them in the streets in the 1920s and 30s. 

Most antifa come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since the 2016 presidential election, some people with more mainstream political backgrounds have also joined their ranks.

The antifa sometimes use a logo with a double flag, usually in black and red. The antifa movement began in the 1960s in Europe, and had reached the US by the end of the 1970s. Most people who show up to counter or oppose white supremacist public events are peaceful demonstrators, but when antifa show up, as they frequently do, they can increase the chances that an event may turn violent. 

Antifa have expanded their definition of fascist/fascism to include not just white supremacists and other extremists, but also many conservatives and supporters of President Trump. 

Because there is no unifying body for antifa, it is impossible to know how many 'members' are currently active. Different localities have antifa populations of different strengths, but antifa are also sometimes willing to travel hundreds of miles to oppose a white supremacist event.

Source: Anti-Defamation League