Trump's military response to anti-racism and police brutality protests actually helped to 'turn out more people': DC Mayor Bowser

• Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said President Donald Trump's harsh response to peaceful protests encouraged more people to attend the demonstrations.
• One day after the capital city marked its largest demonstration yet, Bowser said Sunday that reports from across the country of law enforcement officials violently clashing with protesters triggered a response from Americans who wanted to "exercise their first amendment rights."
• After the record attendance at a peaceful protest Saturday afternoon in the nation's capital, Trump tweeted Sunday that the National Guard was withdrawing from DC, "but can quickly return, if needed."

President Donald Trump's responses to protests over the death of George Floyd across the country encouraged more peaceful demonstrations, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said.

Bowser appeared Sunday on ABC's "This Week" a day after the capital city marked its largest demonstration yet to demand justice over the Minnesota man's death in police custody.

Trump has clashed with Bowser over the protests, insulting her and issuing a federal response that deployed military assets to demonstrations in US cities that ended in violent clashes. The president has also been criticized for appearing to stoke unrest with tweets that threatened retribution against protesters, including one that earned a warning label from Twitter for "glorifying violence."

"What Americans saw was federal police forces tear gassing peaceful Americans, and how they responded made clear to the president that Americans would exercise their first amendment rights and they will do it peacefully," Bowser said.

Trump's response turned "out more people and more people who were there for peaceful protest," Bowser told host Martha Raddatz.

By June 4, 4,500 National Guard troops from various states were deployed to Washington, DC. Bowser asked Trump in a letter on Thursday to withdraw the troops from the city.

After the mayor unveiled a massive mural with the words "Black Lives Matter" adorning 16th street around the White House and renaming the area "Black Lives Matter Plaza," Trump took aim at the mayor on Twitter Friday calling her "grossly incompetent."

Following the record attendance at the peaceful protest Saturday afternoon, Trump tweeted Sunday that the National Guard was withdrawing from DC, "but can quickly return, if needed."

The Associated Press reported that Trump had previously ordered more than 1,000 active-duty troops to be flown to the DC area in reserve, but after the peaceful protests, sent them back to their home bases.

Raddatz asked Bowser about protesters adding "Defund the Police" to the "Black Lives Matter" mural, which Bowser said was "not a part of the" installation, but she hadn't had the chance to review whether there are plans to paint over it.