Donald Trump loves to punch down. Whether it’s undocumented immigrants, the unhoused, or the working poor, his targets are almost always people or groups of people without the resources, influence, or networks to fight back. His recent attempts to federalize Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., two “blue” cities, are not simply absurd political theatre, but dangerous test cases for future attempts to flex his political muscle and demonstrate federal power.
In June, Trump federalized California’s National Guard and sent Marines into Los Angeles without Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. More recently, his administration took control of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police force. Officially, his rationale is to restore “law and order” during protests. Joe Biden might appropriately shout, “Malarky!”
These blue cities were not experiencing unique policing difficulties and did not seek federal help. These takeovers were not about crowd control. They were about political theater and raw power. If you need further evidence of Trumpian hypocrisy, look no further than January 6, 2021. While a full-blown insurrection was occurring at the U.S. Capitol, Trump did nothing but watch on television. People were seriously injured, even killed, and predominately white, blue collar rioters caused millions in property damage. After investigations and prosecutions of many of the perpetrators, Trump abruptly pardoned them, hours into his second term. Apparently, law and order only concerns Trump when the “criminals” aren’t assembling or protesting in support of the Orange Jesus.
The Posse Comitatus Act forbids federal troops from acting as domestic police. The Tenth Amendment reserves policing to the states. And the anti-commandeering doctrine prohibits the federal government from forcing state officials to carry out federal orders. The Insurrection Act is supposed to be used in rare, extreme cases—think catastrophic events (like January 6th when Trump did nothing).
Yet, in these recent cases with L.A. and D.C., Trump sidestepped constitutional and statutory guardrails with a simple declaration of “emergency.” What emergency, Mr. President? In California, the governor pushed back—Gavin Newsom filed suit. In Newsom v. Trump, a federal judge called his LA deployment unlawful. But the Ninth Circuit stayed that ruling, permitting Trump to keep control while the case plays out. While appeals courts will likely rule for California, the troops will have gone home by then, and Trump will be emboldened by his success there and the phony ‘precedent’ of federal overreach.
The Posse Comitatus Act was meant to prevent exactly this: federal troops policing American citizens without a crisis and without invitation. If Trump is permitted to normalize this behavior, the line between democracy and authoritarianism blurs. And that should scare the hell out of any American, whether they are the most conservative of Republicans or the most liberal of Democrats. If this stands, nothing stops a future president, regardless of party, from doing the same thing in any city—especially during high-profile events.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in multiple U.S. cities. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be in Los Angeles. Trump has already created a $1 billion White House Olympic Security Task Force. Homeless advocates in LA are openly warning about “detention camps” or forced relocations. And history warns us that when governments flex their muscle in this way, it’s the vulnerable who suffer first. The poor, the unhoused, and the powerless will pay a steep price.
How cowardly and hypocritical is this current Republican Party? Why do they never stand up for their country or the states and citizens they represent? Why are they so willing to march to Trump’s drumbeat? Remember when Republicans claimed to be the party of smaller government and states’ rights? That was their rallying cry on abortion for over 50 years. Even Trump argued that abortion policy should be left to the states.
Shouldn’t the same be true for policing? The hypocrisy could not be starker—Republicans in Congress are content to betray their oaths, sit back, and watch it happen. Memphis, in deep-red Tennessee, has far worse violent crime rates than L.A. and D.C.—but there are no Marines on Beale Street. Why? Because this is not about crime. It’s about punishing political enemies and sending a message: “If you’re a blue city, in a blue state, I can take you over.”
These “test runs” must not go unchallenged. If we normalize military-police control over local jurisdictions, eventually, we will all be vulnerable. The time to push back is now, before the World Cup or the Olympics, and before the blueprint becomes standard operating procedure for this administration and future ones. What’s to stop any president from any party from “policing” any city population that failed to cast its vote for that president?
How does any of this ‘make America great?” In America, the rule of law must count. Equal protection and respect for constitutional order must prevail, no matter who is in power. Is America “great” when the federal government can seize control of local police forces to score political points? In America, the answer must be a resounding “no,” because, in America, we stand for “liberty and justice for all.”
And justice for some is justice for none.
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and author of 9 Zachary Blake Legal Thrillers and other legal themed novels and children’s books. For more information, please visit https://www.markmbello.com
