The White House has been engaging in a dangerous performative political stunt by federalizing the National Guard and deploying regular U.S. troops to cities run by Democrats. This move is implausible, as few Americans have shown more contempt for law and order than the first felon to occupy the White House. Trump has threatened to deploy the military against civilians since at least March 2023, suggesting he would use federal troops in urban “crime dens.”
Trump has also urged governors to deploy the National Guard to “dominate the streets” against people protesting the murder of George Floyd. In a speech on June 1, 2020, Trump urged governors to deploy the National Guard to “dominate the streets” against people protesting the Floyd murder. However, a cursory investigation concluded that the police did not clear the park specifically for Trump’s photo op, but it was widely condemned as a violation of the protesters’ constitutional right to assemble. Milley urged future military officers to remain apolitical and take his advice if they expect the armed services to maintain the public’s respect.
In 2024, Military.com conducted its own thought experiment about what would happen if Trump sent active-duty troops to “quash protests on American soil.” The article found that there are few concrete legal protections exist to prevent an abuse of power by a president, especially if that president chooses to lean on the Insurrection Act.
If top military officers and next year’s voters don’t stand up to Trump, America is on a slippery slope to join them under authoritarian rule.
