With Tanks Heading to DC, Call by 'Dictator' Trump to 'Bring in the Troops' Spurs Fear of Wider Repression

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.

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."