Ridge, a Republican who was the first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the first words of the department’s vision statement that he helped establish are “preserve our liberties.”
“When they appear to be quasi-military rather than law enforcement, I think it’s like putting a little gasoline on the fire,” Ridge told CNN.
“Preserving the right to dissent is very important,” he said, although he noted that “the violence” that has accompanied the protests cannot be justified.
Ridge’s comments come as violent crackdowns on protesters have marked a summer shaken by protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
On Monday, Ridge noted the “round trip political shooting” between the federal and local government in Portland.
Ridge, who was also a former governor of Pennsylvania, said: “I am saying this not as Secretary of Homeland Security but as governor, that the federal government
nment and the state and local governments work together to spread the word. It’s too hot. “
Ridge added that Trump should call his vice president, former Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who has been in the position of leading a state government before.
“He understands the importance of joining federal, state and local teams to help calm the situation,” Ridge said of Pence.
“The President, call your vice president, he has been in this position before, to help calm the situation, before it gets completely out of control, and he’s close to that right now,” Ridge added.
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