Declaring himself a"law and order"president,Trump said:"I am mobilising all available federal resources,civilian and military,to stop the rioting and looting.

"To end the destruction and arson and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans,including your Second Amendment rights."

Several state leaders,including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz,have activated the National Guard in recent days,but Trump's threat would involve the federal government overriding local control to control city streets.

On a conference call with governors earlier in the day,Trump said local leaders would like"fools"unless they took back control of their streets.

"You have to dominate,"he said on the call."If you don’t dominate,you’re wasting your time. They’re going to run over you. You’re going to look like a bunch of jerks."

On the call,Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker urged Trump to tone down his combative rhetoric,a request the President quickly rebuffed.

Responding to Trump's threat to deploy the national guard without governors'approval,Pritzker said:"I reject the notion that the federal government can send troops into the state of Illinois.

"The fact is that the president has created an incendiary moment here."

A Department of Defence spokesperson said the President had not yet officially invoked the Insurrection Act.

The bishop who oversees St John’s Episcopal Church,Mariann Budde,said she was"outraged"by Trump's decision to use the place of worship for a political photo opportunity,saying his actions were"antithetical to everything this faith stands for"and that he had abused"sacred symbols".

"I just can't believe what my eyes have just seen,"she told CNN.

Many of America's biggest cities - including New York,Washington D.C,Philadelphia and Minneapolis - are under night-time curfews in a bid to prevent the destruction of property by violent elements of the protest movement against police brutality.