Donald Trump’s “Border Czar” Tom Homan said Saturday the administration is planning to send in the National Guard Saturday evening to quell protests in Los Angeles.
“This is about enforcing the law, and again, we’re not going to apologize for doing it,” Homan said on Fox News. He continued: “We’re already ahead of the game. We were already mobilizing. We’re gonna bring National Guard in tonight. We’re gonna continue doing our job. We’re gonna push back on these people, and we’re gonna [enforce] the law.”
On Saturday night, following Homan’s on-camera remarks, both national Democratic and Republican figures were scrambling to figure out if he was just mouthing off, or if the federal troops were actually on their way, or just … what the hell was going on.
Two Trump administration officials say they learned about the alleged National Guard plans from journalists such as Rolling Stone’s who had reached out to them on Saturday evening, asking for clarification.
Homan did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
“The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wrote on Bluesky Saturday evening. “That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”
He added, “LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need. The Guard has been admirably serving LA throughout recovery. This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”
The president can request, but not order, a governor to deploy their state’s National Guard. The governor can refuse the request, and Trump would not be allowed under the Constitution to send National Guard troops to California from other states. However, the Trump administration has previously mulled invoking the Insurrection Act, which could allow the president to deploy the U.S. military domestically, federalize the National Guard, and send in troops to quell uprisings or civil disorder.
Editorializing beyond here:
The Insurrectionist invokes the Insurrection Act.
As indicated by my ‘editorial’, my very strong suspicion is that Trump, if he knew any Latin, or history, has basically just said:
alea iacta est
BREAKING EDIT
Trump is trying to have his cake and eat it too now - https://hexbear.net/comment/6219909
I am now entirely out of predictions. God only knows what President Dipshit will do next.
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The higher functioning part of his brain is surely constantly reminding the lizard part that he shouldn’t fuck up his Very, Very Important Big Boy Parade. Maybe in the middle of next week - ICE suddenly tones things down, on Sunday Trump has his parade, on Monday ICE doubles down, and then Trump invokes the act. That way he can have his cake and eat it too. But Trump is an impulsive, deluded moron who ignores common sense so I guess anything is possible in the next 8 days.