Fact check: What is the Insurrection Act and when was it last invoked by a US president?

1. Summary of the results

The Insurrection Act is a federal law from 1807 that grants the U.S. President the authority to deploy military forces domestically in response to civil unrest, rebellions, or obstruction of federal law ^[1]. The Act was last formally invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King beating trial, when President George H.W. Bush deployed the National Guard at the request of California Governor Pete Wilson ^{[2] [3]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements were missing from the original question:

• The Act serves as an important exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits military involvement in domestic law enforcement ^[1]
• The Act has been used approximately 30 times throughout U.S. history ^[4]
• It originated from the Calling Forth Act of 1792, showing its deep historical roots ^[5]
• The Act doesn't always result in actual troop deployment - sometimes the threat of intervention is sufficient ^[5]
• Prior to the 1992 LA riots, it was also used during Hurricane Hugo in 1989 in the U.S. Virgin Islands ^[6]
• More recently, President Trump considered invoking the Act during the 2020 George Floyd protests but was discouraged by federal officials ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question's simplicity could lead to misunderstanding of this complex legal tool. Several important considerations should be noted:

• The Act's invocation often involves state-federal cooperation, as demonstrated by Governor Wilson's request in 1992 ^[3]
• The power to deploy military forces against American citizens is an extraordinary measure that requires careful consideration ^[5]
• The Act's historical usage pattern (30 times over 200+ years) suggests it's meant as a last resort rather than a routine response to civil unrest ^[4]
• The fact that recent considerations of its use (like in 2020) were met with resistance from federal officials suggests there are significant institutional concerns about its deployment ^[2]