As Trump's job approval spirals near historic lows, even before the economic cost of his policies is levelled, he seems to be doubling down on military takeovers of local governments.
Much of this is performative. Unlike the masked goons in ICE, the National Guard isn't particularly juiced to become Stormtroopers for Trump. The argument that this is supposed to "normalize" armed soldiery on street corners could be true, or it could be that he's just hoping for a violent response to allow him to crack down further on any dissent. Certainly, deploying troops to Chicago would fit his blinkered view of American Carnage and the hope that some dumb gang member shoots at a Guardsman.
This is all illegal, of course. Congress returns soon, and in addition to dealing with Epstein, they will have to address the DC takeover. Republicans have a seven seat majority today but that number falls to five by September 23rd after special elections fill empty seats in Democratic districts. That means that four Republican House members or four Republican Senators are all that's needed to end this bullshit "emergency." In the Senate, I think this could be an issue that unites Collins, Murkowski, McConnell and Paul. A similar mix of what passes for moderates (Don Bacon?) and libertarians in the House could make a coalition to end this.
We can see the lawlessness of the Trump Administration in their moves to deport Kilmer Abrego Garcia again, even as he awaits trial. This is a blatant violation of Garcia's rights, just as the first deportation was. They arrested him after his court hearing, because of course they did. This is not about enforcing the law, but creating precedents for violating it.
If courts rule that Trump's martial law attempts in California or possible future attempts in Illinois are illegal (which they are), what happens next? The Abrego Garcia case shows that they are unconstrained by judicial rulings. Intimidation is the only law they follow.
In all this, of course, is the supine Republican Congress.
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