“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the people.”
― Eugene Victor Debs
On Saturday, June 7, ICE agents conducted raids in Los Angeles. While protesters remained mostly peaceful, some riots broke out, leading to isolated incidents of violence. Most Americans were disconnected from the news, enjoying the weekend and blissfully unaware of what was transpiring in California.
That evening, actor George Clooney made history as the penultimate performance of his Broadway play, “Goodnight, and Good Luck,” was airing live internationally across all CNN’s media platforms. The play was a poignant and timely reminder of what happens when corrupt politicians weaponize fear and gaslight the vulnerable populace.
Basil Dannebohm
Not long after Clooney’s curtain call, news broke that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller described Saturday’s demonstrations in Los Angeles as an “insurrection.”
“An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” Miller wrote in a post online. He doubled down on his claims in an X post later that evening, writing, “This is a violent insurrection.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino took to social media to announce the bureau was investigating alleged instances of demonstrators obstructing immigration enforcement operations.
In response to the protests, Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles. Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed the federal government had commandeered his state’s National Guard and deployed 2,000 troops to the city.
In a long, largely unhinged social media diatribe, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said active-duty marines at Camp Pendleton also would be mobilized if the unrest were to continue. This led Newsom to respond by saying that, among other things, Hegseth was “deranged.”
A flurry of law enforcement agencies and military experts began to publicly express their misgivings about the manner in which the administration was handling the incident in California, noting the response seemed excessive and dangerous.
But their concerns fell on deaf ears.
“A message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. @ICEgov will continue to enforce the law,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.
The secretary’s words were an interesting about-face. On Feb. 1, 2024, then-Gov. Noem posted a tweet which read: “South Dakota is united in our support of our state’s constitutional right to defend itself. Democrats are encouraging Biden to federalize the National Guard — to take that power away from the states. I will always stand to defend states’ rights.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller conducts a television interview with CNN outside the White House on May 30. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took advantage of the events unfolding in California as an opportunity for partisan gaslighting, eerily reminiscent of the rhetoric once peddled by Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
“These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States,” Leavitt said. “In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens.”
The language used by the Trump regime, specifically the use of the words “insurrection,” “invasion,” “obstructing” and “abdicated” — combined with the overall tone and approach toward the situation — was by no means coincidental. Rather, it suggests the regime is laying the groundwork to justify and declare martial law. (Remember when the GOP peddled a conspiracy that Barack Obama would declare martial law to retain the presidency? He left office peacefully. January 6, 2021, on the other hand, was a different story entirely, not to mention a legitimate “insurrection.”)
The synchronized legal language and well-orchestrated response suggests the GOP are almost certainly being coached by the very constitutional lawyers who were the architects of Project 2025.
But why would the Republicans want martial law?
Because it is highly unlikely, bordering on impossible, to hold midterm elections in the United States while a federal declaration of martial law is in effect.
The chaos synonymous with Trump is once again exhausting voters.
The GOP is afraid of losing their Congressional majority during the midterm elections. Such a loss would not only render Trump largely powerless, but it also could potentially set him up for yet another impeachment proceeding. Losing their majority would likely subject them to Trump’s wrath and retribution; the Republicans in Congress would rather have the demagogue direct his rage at their constituents.
This is a disturbing development. The administration and its Congressional lackeys are deliberately sowing seeds of distrust and unrest between civilians and the individuals in uniform who swore an oath to protect and serve them. It’s all part of creating the sense of fear that is synonymous with a military state.
We are in dangerous, uncharted waters.
Goodnight, and good luck.
J. Basil Dannebohm is a writer, speaker, consultant, former Kansas legislator and intelligencer. His website is www.dannebohm.com. He is a member of the Virginia Press Association and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He writes from the Washington, D.C., metro in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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