SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
California National Guard members are pictured on June 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
With Tanks Heading to DC, Call by 'Dictator' Trump to 'Bring in the Troops' Spurs Fear of Wider Repression
"This is not about protecting communities," said one human rights campaigner, "this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear."
Jun 09, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump's call late Sunday to "bring in the troops" to crush protests in Los Angeles—along with the release of video footage showing the arrival of tanks in the nation's capital ahead of a dictatorial military parade—intensified fears that the White House's actions in southern California are merely the opening salvo in a broader crackdown on opposition to the administration's far-right agenda.
Human rights organizations and civil liberties groups voiced alarm in response to Trump's decision over the weekend to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in a bid to quell protests against the president's lawless mass deportation campaign.
"This shows the Trump administration is ready to do whatever it takes—including deploying military forces—to target and punish those who speak out in defense of human rights," said Paul O'Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear."
The move sparked a confrontation with California's government, which did not request support from the state-based military force and spoke out against the deployment. Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic governor, said he intends to sue Trump, whom Newsom called a "dictator" bent on "fanning the flames" of tensions and possible violence in Los Angeles.
Newsom also warned of the far-reaching implications of the memorandum Trump signed over the weekend, noting that its scope isn't limited to California.
"It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing," the governor wrote.
The June 7 memorandum, titled Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions, empowers Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to "employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property in any number determined appropriate in his discretion"—an explicit confirmation of Trump's willingness to wield military force across the country.
Asked Sunday about his "bar" for deploying active-duty Marines to U.S. cities, Trump replied, "The bar is what I think it is."
"We're gonna have troops everywhere," the president said.
Trump: Well, we're going to have troops everywhere.
Reporter: What’s the bar for sending in the Marines
Trump: The bar is what I think it is. pic.twitter.com/XUBX9hEZJU
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 8, 2025
Recognizing the potentially sweeping consequences of Trump's actions in Los Angeles, demonstrators took to the streets across the U.S.—from Portland, Maine to Houston, Texas to Salt Lake City, Utah—to show solidarity with protesters facing military repression in California.
The protests came ahead of Trump's June 14 military parade that's set to feature thousands of U.S. soldiers, rocket launchers, and dozens of tanks. The latter were seen arriving in Washington, D.C. via train on Saturday, a week ahead of the event—which coincides with Trump's 79th birthday.
"The military parade will be a parade of force and intimidation by wanna-be authoritarians," said Joanne Freeman, a professor of history at Yale University. "It fits right alongside the outsized military display in CA right now—making the same point."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
U.S. President Donald Trump's call late Sunday to "bring in the troops" to crush protests in Los Angeles—along with the release of video footage showing the arrival of tanks in the nation's capital ahead of a dictatorial military parade—intensified fears that the White House's actions in southern California are merely the opening salvo in a broader crackdown on opposition to the administration's far-right agenda.
Human rights organizations and civil liberties groups voiced alarm in response to Trump's decision over the weekend to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in a bid to quell protests against the president's lawless mass deportation campaign.
"This shows the Trump administration is ready to do whatever it takes—including deploying military forces—to target and punish those who speak out in defense of human rights," said Paul O'Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear."
The move sparked a confrontation with California's government, which did not request support from the state-based military force and spoke out against the deployment. Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic governor, said he intends to sue Trump, whom Newsom called a "dictator" bent on "fanning the flames" of tensions and possible violence in Los Angeles.
Newsom also warned of the far-reaching implications of the memorandum Trump signed over the weekend, noting that its scope isn't limited to California.
"It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing," the governor wrote.
The June 7 memorandum, titled Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions, empowers Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to "employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property in any number determined appropriate in his discretion"—an explicit confirmation of Trump's willingness to wield military force across the country.
Asked Sunday about his "bar" for deploying active-duty Marines to U.S. cities, Trump replied, "The bar is what I think it is."
"We're gonna have troops everywhere," the president said.
Trump: Well, we're going to have troops everywhere.
Reporter: What’s the bar for sending in the Marines
Trump: The bar is what I think it is. pic.twitter.com/XUBX9hEZJU
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 8, 2025
Recognizing the potentially sweeping consequences of Trump's actions in Los Angeles, demonstrators took to the streets across the U.S.—from Portland, Maine to Houston, Texas to Salt Lake City, Utah—to show solidarity with protesters facing military repression in California.
The protests came ahead of Trump's June 14 military parade that's set to feature thousands of U.S. soldiers, rocket launchers, and dozens of tanks. The latter were seen arriving in Washington, D.C. via train on Saturday, a week ahead of the event—which coincides with Trump's 79th birthday.
"The military parade will be a parade of force and intimidation by wanna-be authoritarians," said Joanne Freeman, a professor of history at Yale University. "It fits right alongside the outsized military display in CA right now—making the same point."
From Your Site Articles
U.S. President Donald Trump's call late Sunday to "bring in the troops" to crush protests in Los Angeles—along with the release of video footage showing the arrival of tanks in the nation's capital ahead of a dictatorial military parade—intensified fears that the White House's actions in southern California are merely the opening salvo in a broader crackdown on opposition to the administration's far-right agenda.
Human rights organizations and civil liberties groups voiced alarm in response to Trump's decision over the weekend to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in a bid to quell protests against the president's lawless mass deportation campaign.
"This shows the Trump administration is ready to do whatever it takes—including deploying military forces—to target and punish those who speak out in defense of human rights," said Paul O'Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear."
The move sparked a confrontation with California's government, which did not request support from the state-based military force and spoke out against the deployment. Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic governor, said he intends to sue Trump, whom Newsom called a "dictator" bent on "fanning the flames" of tensions and possible violence in Los Angeles.
Newsom also warned of the far-reaching implications of the memorandum Trump signed over the weekend, noting that its scope isn't limited to California.
"It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing," the governor wrote.
The June 7 memorandum, titled Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions, empowers Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to "employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property in any number determined appropriate in his discretion"—an explicit confirmation of Trump's willingness to wield military force across the country.
Asked Sunday about his "bar" for deploying active-duty Marines to U.S. cities, Trump replied, "The bar is what I think it is."
"We're gonna have troops everywhere," the president said.
Trump: Well, we're going to have troops everywhere.
Reporter: What’s the bar for sending in the Marines
Trump: The bar is what I think it is. pic.twitter.com/XUBX9hEZJU
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 8, 2025
Recognizing the potentially sweeping consequences of Trump's actions in Los Angeles, demonstrators took to the streets across the U.S.—from Portland, Maine to Houston, Texas to Salt Lake City, Utah—to show solidarity with protesters facing military repression in California.
The protests came ahead of Trump's June 14 military parade that's set to feature thousands of U.S. soldiers, rocket launchers, and dozens of tanks. The latter were seen arriving in Washington, D.C. via train on Saturday, a week ahead of the event—which coincides with Trump's 79th birthday.
"The military parade will be a parade of force and intimidation by wanna-be authoritarians," said Joanne Freeman, a professor of history at Yale University. "It fits right alongside the outsized military display in CA right now—making the same point."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.