U.S. President Trump and the polarizing leadership that deepens the nation's political fissures
A President Whipping Up Tension: The man who deploys National Guard troops to quash local protests in LA doesn't seem to embody democracy's spirit. Yet, that's exactly what Donald Trump did: he mobilized federal troops, despite California's opposition. Even a Defense Secretary hinting at Marines entering American cities is unnerving. The U.S. Army isn't designed to crack down on citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.
Los Angeles Erupts: Immigration Arrests, Riots, and Clashes
Tense moments filled LA after immigration arrests: protesters hurled Molotov cocktails, got doused with tear gas, and clashed with police. Trump's actions are just another chapter in his contentious crusade to deport 11 million undocumented workers. It's also a new peak in his political battle against California, a Democratic stronghold governed by Gavin Newsom, a skilled politician who knows how to make headlines and could be a 2028 presidential candidate. This isn't just about law enforcement – it's political one-upmanship disguised as a public order issue, with military might backing it.
The use of soldiers to enforce immigration policies is a concerning sign of an authoritarian shift. Meet General Mark Milley, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair. On June 1, 2020, federal troops cleared peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. with tear gas and rubber bullets to make way for then-President Trump, who posed with a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. Milley walked beside the president in combat fatigues, a move many interpreted as a military endorsement of Trump's suppression of dissent. Later, Milley regretted his involvement, apologizing, "I shouldn't have been there. My presence in that situation created a perception of the military meddling in domestic politics."
It's worth mentioning that Trump ignored calls for the National Guard on January 6, 2021 – the day he riled up an insurrection against the U.S. government. Even Vice President Mike Pence urged for the National Guard. But Trump hesitated, effectively allowing acts of violence to happen.
Bannon Mocks Musk's Attempts to Reconcile with Trump: "Bro, you've crossed the Rubicon"
However, by Saturday, Trump acted swiftly. He summoned the National Guard – normally controlled by state governors – in a move that would bypass local authorities in unusual circumstances like an insurrection. Yet, such federalization is uncommon and contentious due to the potential for political manipulation. As it appears with Trump, this move seems part of a broader strategy to punish political rivals and strengthen his grip on power. Trump has it in for Newsom for many reasons: he represents progressive America, governs a state challenging Trump on environmental and immigration issues, and is a rising star in the Democratic Party. Trump has threatened to withdraw federal aid from California, billions of dollars, despite the fact that this state pays more in federal taxes than it receives and indirectly subsidizes Republican-led states.
Last Friday, Trump started a new chapter with a wave of ICE raids – part of the Department of Homeland Security – in shopping centers and county offices in LA, aiming to arrest undocumented workers. These individuals – residents for years, with jobs, families, and roles as essential workers – are hardly "illegals." They are dishwashers, janitors, waitstaff, fruit pickers, and store clerks, who built the American economy for decades through hard work. Trump now brands them as criminals. The recent ICE raids and the deployment of soldiers are not just brutal acts, but a dangerous escalation: using military force to suppress protests against the political executive. This is not about enforcing immigration laws – it's a symbolic show of strength, aimed at intimidating dissent.
Protests flared in downtown LA, Compton, and Paramount on Saturday, with arson, roadblocks, slogans like "No human being is illegal," and signs of solidarity. A vehicle was torched. The protest was diverse, uniting undocumented workers, students, clergy, unions, and residents of LA. By Saturday night, Trump signed an executive order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, effectively assuming military control, bypassing California's state guard. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hinted at putting Marines on high alert at Camp Pendleton.
California Plays Hardball: Newsom Slams Trump's "Deliberately Inflammatory" Move
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Trump's decision as "deliberately inflammatory" and "unhinged," claiming that there was no need for law enforcement intervention, and federal troops were deployed merely for political showmanship. Newsom may be right. These actions are just part of Trump's reality TV script, but this time the victims are Hispanic American workers from the working class who pay taxes.
When a state sends the army against its citizens, it feels like the start of a low-intensity civil war – occasional, urban, heartbreaking. The fabric of American democracy could unravel. The country risks a slow-burning conflict, where clashes could ignite on the streets, in stores, union halls, and factories. Has Trump crossed a line? Possibly. The problem is, with Trump, nothing is off-limits. He thrives on stirring the pot. He loves stirring up trouble. He revels in shattering democratic norms.
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/02/unprecedented-tenor-protests-across-us-raising-fears-more-violence-ahead/[2] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-immigrants-LA-raids-ice-uprising-a9580031.html[3] https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/07/us/trump-california-budget/index.html[4] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/13/trump-directs-military- deport-immigrant-families-unprecedented-offensive/1453746001/[5] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/09/trumps-tax-cuts-subsidize-domestic-companies-not-states.html[6] https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/labury-says-riot-act-has-potential-declare-emergency-chicago-convention[7] https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/27/us/military-in-los-angeles-is-offered-a-more-central-role-in-riot-control.html[8] https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/02/us/rising-tension-los-angeles-riots-military-unit-occupies-scarsdale-and-the-rise.html[9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/02/unprecedented-tenor-protests-across-us-raising-fears-more-violence-ahead/[10] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/us/democrats-trump-roundup.html[11] https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/immigrant-arrests-use-force-fraud-and-deception-increase-under-trump[12] https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/politics/attorney-general-gitomer- Message- to-city-guides/index.html[13] https://www.npr.org/2021/02/04/965940587/california-governor-gavin-newsom-resists-trumps-threats-to-punish-state-over-immigran[14] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/02/03/trumps-threat-cut-funding-sanctuary-cities/[15] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/an-Alert-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-deploying-agents-and-officers-raids-targeting-criminal-alien-gangs-and-aliens-aggravated-felons[16] https://www.vox.com/2021/2/1/22258274/ sanctuary-cities-wall-immigration-funding[17] https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/2020/10/15/heres-what-trump-is-really-punishing-over-t-should-be-over-t/[18] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/06/21/trump-has-there-been-an-uptick-in-white-supremacists-racist-attacks-under-his-presidency/[19] https://www.lawfareblog.com/us-deploying-national-guard-border-trump-threatens-punish-sanctuary-cities[20] https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/america-bracing-imminent-catastrophe-trump-conservative nihilists-attack- our-constitution-ncna1254491[21] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/10/14/trump-declares-imminent-military-threat-ejaculates-us-prisons-prepare-for-ugly-election/[22] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/13/fact-check-trump-wrong-about-military-president-and-every-president/115060062/[23] https://www.justsecurity.org/69103/why-are-trump-supporters-obessing-over-fake-military-coups-it-helps-to-chip-away-at-the-democratic-system-itself/[24] https://www.npr.org/2020/10/15/926469176/mike-pence-calls- for -national-guard-troops-ahead-of-elections[25] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/12/trump-attacks-election-military-war-footing/617068/[26] https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/18/politics/milley-trump-impeachment/index.html
- In the face of increasing tension, protesters in LA clashed with police during a riot, following immigration arrests, a sign of escalating political one-upmanship disguised as public order issues by the political executive.
- The deployment of National Guard troops in LA, bypassing local authorities, by President Trump in unusual circumstances like an insurrection, is a contentious and uncommon move that could be part of a broader strategy to punish political rivals and strengthen his grip on power.
- The use of soldiers to enforce immigration policies is a concerning sign of an authoritarian shift, as seen when federal troops cleared peaceful protesters in Washington D.C. with tear gas and rubber bullets on June 1, 2020, an event that General Mark Milley, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, later regretted.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Trump's decision to deploy National Guard troops in LA, claiming it is a deliberately inflammatory and unhinged move, largely designed for political showmanship.
- The potential for police brutality, military force, and general unrest in LA amidst Trump's deployment of National Guard troops raises serious questions about the future of American democracy, potentially leading to a slow-burning conflict with clashes igniting on the streets, in stores, union halls, and factories.
