Trump Wanted This Escalation
Trump's calling for 2,000 National Guard soldiers to spread fear and crack down on dissent. This is a time for non-violent defiance.
I rarely publish on Sunday, but I realized this story could not wait until Monday. Yesterday evening Donald Trump called for 2,000 National Guard troops to confront protestors in Los Angeles County, a move that seriously and dangerously escalates the conflict over his mass deportation agenda.
This is exactly what Trump wanted.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the federal action “purposefully inflammatory” and said that it would “only escalate tensions.” The governor also noted this deployment of soldiers is “not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle.”
This followed two days of protests, in which police clad in riot gear fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades to quell the dissent after dozens of migrants were detained by ICE agents. David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union who was reportedly observing and documenting the ICE activity, was pushed to the ground, arrested and subsequently taken to the hospital to treat a head injury.
To pursue this federalizing escalation and take control of California’s National Guard, Trump invoked Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services. According to Title 10, this is permissible when the U.S. is invaded or in danger of invasion, there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the government's authority, or the president is unable to execute the law “with regular forces.”
Trump’s directive yesterday stated, “To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”
Note the words: “a form of rebellion.” And note the further escalation by Defense Secretary and Trump sycophant Pete Hegseth who posted this on social media: “The DeptofDefense is mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. And, if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized—they are on high alert.”
Gov. Newsom’s response: “The Secretary of Defense is now threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens. This is deranged behavior.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ response to the federal actions: "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.”
The American Civil Liberties Union also commented on the decision to federalize National Guard troops. “By taking this action, the Trump administration is putting Angelenos in danger, creating legal and ethical jeopardy for troops, and recklessly undermining our foundational democratic principle that the military should not police civilians,” said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU’s National Security Project.
To be clear, violent protest plays into the Trump regime’s hands; this is a time that calls for non-violent civil disobedience against a hostile government that is bent on implementing a police state with the use of our military.
The current confrontation is exactly what Trump wanted and promised. Recall his comments in October during the campaign: “I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within…We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics…and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”
This weekend’s actions also come in the wake of a mounting collection of humiliating failures for Trump, surely exacerbating his reckless desire for spectacular distraction. These include the growing criticism and trouble for his “big beautiful bill,” the public unraveling with and attacks by Elon Musk, the reignited focus on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the refusal of China’s Xi Jinping to kowtow to his foolish trade war. The bully in the White House needs to show off his power.
We should not be surprised by this escalation. We should remember that Trump tried to push Defense Secretary Mark Esper to shoot protestors during his first term amid the rising unrest after the murder of George Floyd. We can expect that he is counting on sycophants like Hegseth and Stephen Miller to help justify a violent crackdown.
It’s just a question of time before Trump invokes the Insurrection Act; yesterday Vice President JD Vance was already calling protestors “insurrectionists.” What a hypocritical farce in light of the actual insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
Next week, on June 14, when Trump will be despicably parading massive military force in the streets of Washington, every American who rejects this despotic regime has an opportunity to peacefully protest in the “No Kings” demonstrations across America. This act of defiance could not be more democratic and American.
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I am not surprised by this, but I am alarmed, as we should all be. This is a deliberate attempt to provoke violence and use it as an excuse to distract our attention from the humiliating pile of negative news Trump is combating. I am old enough to remember Jackson State and Kent State. We must stay calm and prepare to respond with nonviolence.
Thank you for this guidance, Steven. Gandhi said
"Non-violence is a weapon of the strong." We are coming to understand both the importance and the depth of this strength.