Another in an ongoing series.
Dear Senator;
I am a resident of Pennsylvania and a constituent of yours and I'd like you to answer a question or two.
I was going to ask you about President Trump's plan to commandeer the Army's 250th birthday celebration to spend millions on a birthday parade for himself but other events took over.
Instead, this is about his commandeering the California National Guard in Los Angeles.
This morning, The New York Times reported:
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California accused President Trump on Sunday of fomenting trouble in Los Angeles by calling in the National Guard. “Local law enforcement didn’t need help,” Newsom said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Trump sent troops anyway — to manufacture chaos and violence,” Newsom said. “Now things are destabilized and we need to send in more law enforcement just to clean up Trump’s mess.”
Elsewhere, there was this analysis from the Times:
It is the fight President Trump had been waiting for, a showdown with a top political rival in a deep blue state over an issue core to his political agenda.
In bypassing the authority of Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, to call in the National Guard to quell protests in the Los Angeles area over his administration’s efforts to deport more migrants, Mr. Trump is now pushing the boundaries of presidential authority and stoking criticism that he is inflaming the situation for political gain.
Local and state authorities had not sought help in dealing with the scattered protests that erupted after an immigration raid on Friday in the garment district. But Mr. Trump and his top aides leaned into the confrontation with California leaders on Sunday, portraying the demonstrations as an existential threat to the country — setting in motion an aggressive federal response that in turn sparked new protests across the city.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued this statement:
In case you missed it, last night, President Trump – disregarding Governor Newsom – federalized California National Guard troops in Los Angeles at a time when there were no unmet law enforcement needs. In fact, local law enforcement efforts successfully de-escalated the situation in Los Angeles County prior to any of Trump’s commandeered troops being deployed on the ground. {Emphases added.]
And this from the guy who refused to immediately call for the National Guard to help out law enforcement on January 6, 2021.
So my question: Were the President's actions appropriate or was it an opportunity to forward his political agenda?
Last time I checked the First Amendment was still in place - and of course anyone breaking the law must be held accountable in order to protect the rule of law.
On the other hand, Trump pardoned all those convicted for attacking the Capitol on January 6.
Your thoughts?
I'll await your answer, Senator.
As always, I'll publish your response here. In full.
