Donald Trump used to say “I’m the law and order president.” Now, it’s clear what he really meant: I am the law. And he plans to enforce it with the U.S. military.
You’ve seen three big news stories the past few days, and I want to tell you why they’re all connected.
Last week, Trump declared Antifa a “major terrorist organization,” despite the fact that Antifa is not — by any reasonable legal or structural definition — an actual organization. Then this weekend, he announced on Truth Social that he was sending U.S. troops into Portland, Oregon, a move supposedly at the request of his Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem. Finally, his so-called “Secretary of War” is convening senior U.S. military officials for him to speak to this week in Virginia. These are part of the same larger story.
Let’s start with this new terror threat. Antifa has one very useful feature: it exists almost entirely in Trump’s imagination, which means it can be whatever he needs it to be. In this case, it’s a justification to use military force on American soil. He’s making Portland, Oregon his first target in a domestic “war on terror.”
“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump wrote. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
I spoke about those words on MSNBC’s Sunday show (above) and how they should send a chill down the spine of Americans. The president of the United States just claimed the authority to send troops into a U.S. city unilaterally, without any public legal justification or local need, based on an imaginary enemy, and authorized “Full Force” — i.e. the use of government violence against U.S. citizens. Welcome to the Land of the Free.
Fortunately, Oregon has learned lessons from other places where Trump has tried to send troops. The state’s leaders are in a full-court press against the Trump administration, including actually taking them to court. Today, Oregon preemptively sued the White House to stop troops from being sent into Portland.
This leads to the third news story. The official line is that Trump’s team is hauling in senior U.S. military officials (from every corner of the world) to Virginia for a “global security summit.” But I doubt this is a war-planning exercise for the South China Sea. It’s about consolidating the ranks. He’s not interested in generals committed to their constitutional oaths; he wants ones committed to him. And I suspect the president wants to impress upon the troops where the battlefield is shifting… to the homeland.
If Trump has his way, the next war will be waged here, against Americans, or at least the ones he sees as political enemies. He’s recast the Defense Department as the “War Department” in part to send a signal of intimidation to the opposition, loudly and clearly. That’s why his very first military “threat” using the Department’s new name was not against China or Russia. It was against the City of Chicago.
You must see this with the perspective of history. Donald Trump and his lieutenants are dusting off old, oft-used authoritarian tactics. They’re designating a vague internal threat (Antifa) as terrorism, using it as legal pretext for domestic militarization, deploying “Full Force” against “unrest,” making sure the military is stocked with obedient types, then quietly normalizing the use of power against the political opposition. The story has been told in too many places to list. Germany, Russia, Chile, Turkey, Hungary, Egypt, and on and on.
I can say with a straight face that, for the moment, the rule of law has died in America. The framers of the Constitution feared this type of situation, specifically, and worked hard to prevent it from happening. That’s why they intentionally separated the various components of political power. That’s why the Founders envisioned a civilian-controlled military subordinate to a Congress with the sole authority to declare war, not a standing army at the beck and call of a president’s ego. That’s why laws like the Posse Comitatus Act exist. But it’s happening anyway.
Donald Trump has no use for those constraints. He wants to erase the line between civilian and soldier… between protester and enemy… and apparently, between president and tyrant.
Starting with Portland, the message to the president from the people should be just as loud and clear and as Trump’s bellicose declarations, and the people should say this: we don’t have a king, and we will NOT accept one. If there’s any silver lining here, it’s that the nationwide protests planned for October 18 have more justification than ever.
P.S. WHAT’S HAPPENING ON TREASON
A few things to put on your radar screen.
Today / Sunday (7a ET) - If you’re up and about, you can catch me at 7a ET on MSNBC’s Sunday show today. If not, I’ll post it later today and tomorrow.
Wednesday (12noon ET) - Subscribers-Only - Weekly Wednesday Coffee - Don’t miss it. Bring your questions and a chance to win a signed book. We might even have another surprise guest. TBC. You can join here.
Wednesday (1:30p ET) - Democratic Governors Association (DGA) - I’m hosting the head of the DGA to talk about the two crucial races happening in just a few weeks — the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races. These will be CRUCIAL. You can join here.
Thursday (time TBA) - Thom Hartmann’s & his new book - If the scheduling stars align, I’ll have radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann on to talk about his new book, The Last American President. Stay tuned.
Friday (4p ET) - Barbara Starr is back! - We had technical issues the other week, but I’m delighted to say that former CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr will join me Friday to talk about everything from Portland to Trump’s meeting with military officials this week. You don’t want to miss it. You can join here.
