Trump vs LA
By Cody Andrus
President Trump’s tendency to escalate conflict is nothing new. But when a president deploys U.S. Marines and National Guard troops in Los Angeles to confront civilian protesters, it crosses into something not just reckless but illegal and un-American. At this point, calling Trump controversial understates the depth of his corruption. He's not trying to lead a nation. He's trying to command it.
The central premise with Trump remains the same. He didn't propose sending federal troops to stop armed insurrectionists at state capitols. He didn't use military force when predominantly white crowds stormed the Michigan legislature over pandemic mask mandates. But when Black and Latino communities raise their voices in protest Trump’s first instinct is to militarize the response. This reflects his belief that dissent from nonwhite communities is disorder, not democracy.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has made it clear that Trump’s idea of deploying federal troops on his state's soil without consent is unwelcome and unconstitutional. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the U.S. military cannot be used for domestic law enforcement without explicit Congressional approval or a request from the state itself. Newsom hasn't requested federal troops. He hasn't ceded control. Yet Trump’s threats persist, not out of necessity, but out of a desire to demonstrate dominance.
Los Angeles is a city shaped by diversity, activism, and has a painful history with law enforcement. The idea that military boots and loaded rifles might be used to suppress protest in this city is not just provocative—it is a clear abuse of executive power. And when Trump pushes this narrative, he invites a dangerous precedent, where political disagreement is treated as insurrection and military force becomes a tool of partisan punishment.
For decades, Trump has trafficked in conspiracy theories and coded appeals to white resentment. He's never hidden his hostility toward nonwhite communities. What he does now—demanding that governors allow troops to “dominate the streets”—is the logical extension of everything he has ever believed. He doesn't see peaceful protest as protected speech. He sees it as a threat.
Governor Newsom has resisted this pressure with legal authority and impressive moral clarity. But Trump’s strategy isn't based in legality. It’s based in spectacle. He wants images of armed soldiers confronting protesters. He wants to provoke violence, to point to chaos he helped create, and then say he alone can fix it. There's a reason constitutional protections exist.
There's a reason governors, not presidents, control the National Guard within their borders. Trump’s refusal to respect those boundaries is a new low. Even for the worst president in U.S. history. Trump isn't mentally well and is more corrupt than anyone can possibly imagine.
