Led by Donald Trump, Republican leaders—together with members of Congress and several other governors—have in current weeks endorsed armed occupations of American cities.
Probably the most distinguished show of this angle could be seen in Washington, D.C., the place Trump has deployed federal legislation enforcement together with the Nationwide Guard to fight a nonexistent crime wave. For just a few weeks now Individuals have watched as federal brokers have been tasked with dealing with moped accidents, drunk males throwing sandwiches, and trash cleanup obligation.
The motion in Washington follows the deployment of federal belongings in Los Angeles, which is led by Mayor Karen Bass, a Black lady. Different cities have been threatened with occupation by Trump together with Chicago, Baltimore, and most just lately New Orleans. All the cities vote Democratic, have massive minority populations, and are led by Black mayors.
However only a few years in the past conservatives and Republicans have been busy accusing Democrats of wanting a “police state.”
The proper spent almost a decade accusing former President Invoice Clinton of plotting to permit United Nations-backed brokers of the “New World Order” to do issues like assemble FEMA camps and conduct armed takeovers of American cities.
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By the point former President Barack Obama took workplace in 2009, the fitting whipped itself right into a frenzy over the “Jade Helm” conspiracy. Underneath Jade Helm, Obama was purportedly amassing army forces to take over crimson state cities and cities. None of it was true, as Jade Helm was an innocuous army train.
The fearmongering over the upcoming police state didn’t cease when former President Joe Biden took workplace in 2021. In 2024 whereas serving as governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem mentioned there can be “war on our hands” if Biden used the Nationwide Guard to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.
Now that Noem is serving as Trump’s Homeland Safety secretary, she backs utilizing the Guard to invade states like California.
A bunch of 28 congressional Republicans launched a letter in 2024 pushing Biden to not federalize the Texas Nationwide Guard after Gov. Greg Abbott started utilizing the guard to put in razor wire on the southern border. Republican attorneys common additionally voiced protest as nicely.
However these similar individuals are completely high-quality with Trump deploying the Nationwide Guard to implement his imperialist presidential agenda.
Conservative teams just like the NRA, which have argued that Individuals must be armed to the enamel to counter federal energy, have been quiet at the same time as federal troops have marched on Washington.
The reality is that the fitting by no means actually cared a few federal police state. The motion is very happy if cities with massive Black populations led by Black leaders are pressured to buckle to Trump’s whims, backed up by armed feds.
If it means enhanced energy for Republicans and permitting them to dominate Democrats, minorities, or each, then the fitting is all for it.
Figures like conspiracy theorist Alex Jones made tens of millions promoting ineffective remedy, primarily based on his promotion of fears a few “police state.” Now Jones is busy parting with contributors to his personal community who reportedly reveal inadequate fealty to Trump.
Your entire elaborate “police state” warning was one other fraud from the fitting. They aren’t against a police state—they experience cheering it on.