Senate Democrats demand evidence from intelligence officials for Trump's 'inflammatory' claim that 'professional anarchists' are behind George Floyd protests

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• In a June 10 letter, Senate Democrats call on the FBI and the director of national intelligence to release "any information" that would support President Trump's claim that "professional anarchists" are behind recent civil unrest.
• "These claims are highly inflammatory," the senators write. "They also appear intended to frame the legitimate peaceful protests taking place around the country as terrorist threats in order to justify unnecessary federal, even military, intervention, and the excessive use of force."
• The letter comes as President Donald Trump has stepped up his claims that "anarchists" and "antifa" are behind the protests. "These ugly Anarchists must be stooped," he tweeted Wednesday.
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Senate Democrats are asking top intelligence and law enforcement officials to provide evidence, if it exists, to support US President Donald Trump's claim that "professional anarchists" are behind civil unrest.

On June 1, Trump gave a speech from the White House asserting that, "In recent days, our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals, rioters, antifa, and others."

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