Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said President Donald Trump’s Friday tweets calling for several U.S. states to be “liberated” would provoke Americans to break the law and commit acts of violence in his name.

“The president’s statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to ‘liberate’ states could also lead to violence,” Inslee said in a statement released Friday afternoon. “The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted.”

Earlier in the day, President Trump called for certain states to begin easing emergency restrictions put in place to stymie the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

As previously reported by Law&Crime, the president specifically attacked battleground states with Democratic governors, specifically Virginia, Michigan, and Minnesota, with the Virginia tweet explicitly saying “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”

LIBERATE MINNESOTA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

LIBERATE MICHIGAN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

The president’s calls for liberation came amid increasing tension and protests Minnesota and Michigan, where demonstrators have essentially disregarded social distancing guidelines and other protective measures recommended by healthcare professionals.

Trump’s tweets were apparently inspired by a Fox News segment that aired two minutes earlier.

Minutes after a Fox News segment on a protest against social distancing measures outside the Minnesota governor's office, by conservative "Liberate Minnesota" group, Trump tweets "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" Left, Fox's America's Newsroom, 11:19 a.m.

Right, Trump, 11:21 a.m. pic.twitter.com/RvFV68oOCb — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) April 17, 2020

Inslee went on to say that Trump was “off the rails,” and hoped that “someday we can look at today’s meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned.”

“I hope political leaders of all sorts will speak out firmly against the president’s calls for rebellion. Americans need to work together to protect each other. It’s the only way to slow the spread of this deadly virus and get us on the road to recovery,” Inslee concluded.

[image via Drew Angerer/Getty Images]

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