This Is Not Who We Are: Trump’s Authoritarian Gambit Betrays American Values
Over the weekend, the people of Los Angeles and the entire nation bore witness to an alarming spectacle: rifles positioned over bus stops, armored vehicles lining city streets, and 2,000 National Guard soldiers federalized, and 500 US Marines on standby, under President Trump’s direct orders to deploy against immigration‑rights demonstrators. This is no ordinary measure to restore public safety; it is a display of Trump’s authoritarianism in action, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth serving as the President’s loyal enforcer. As a Democrat and a veteran of the Army and Marines, I oppose this unconstitutional misuse of our military, which is clearly designed to provoke more violence in order to justify potential escalation and further violation of Americans’ civil rights.
Let me be crystal clear: protest is a fundamental right—but it must be exercised lawfully and without violence. By deploying troops and weaponizing fear, Trump is doing more than silencing dissent—he’s fanning the flames of outrage that could ignite a nationwide uprising. If this escalates, once-peaceful demonstrations risk spiraling into chaos on our streets, endangering innocent lives and tearing at the fabric of our communities. The question we face isn’t if this movement grows—it’s how much damage will be done before it’s brought back under control.
Donald Trump models himself on the strongmen of authoritarian nations, relying on theatrical rhetoric like “Send in the troops,” "Lock them up,” and “Dominate the streets.” But marching combat soldiers through our neighborhoods, ignoring state leaders, violating the Posse Comitatus Act, and treating citizens as adversaries isn’t rhetoric. It’s a naked abuse of power. One that General Milley warned the American people was coming.
Pete Hegseth, whose main experience as a Fox News commentator makes him the ideal sycophant to parrot Trump’s every whim from the Pentagon pulpit. He dishonors the military, turning service members into a political prop and conjuring memories of Kent State in May 1970,when Guardsmen fired into unarmed students, killing four. Bloodshed is the inevitable result of abandoning constitutional restraint, and Trump and his inner circle are not only proud of the pain they are inflicting on American citizens but have openly stated they are eager to inflict it..
As a veteran, I am deeply disheartened by an administration willing to put troops, who’ve sworn to defend the Constitution, into conflict with their own values, duty, and conscience–ordered to bear arms against American citizens. Federalizing troops upon request from a state governor–usually for the purpose of supporting humanitarian aid in a crisis–calls upon the best of us, as I was proud to perform such duties in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Instead, Trump’s bypassing Governor Newsom’s authority–and then lying about the governor’s "dereliction of duty” sends one message: that the voices and votes of the citizens protesting do not matter.
Freedom of speech and assembly lie at the heart of our national identity. From the Suffregettes to Selma to Stonewall, progress in America has always sprung from protest. Yet, the Trump administration, so eager to unwrite that history, presumes to misuse bayonet‑equipped brigades to extinguish that flame–to replace civic dialogue with intimidation. As a veteran who has faced real threats abroad, I know the difference between combat and community. True security is not imposed by tanks or tear gas; it is fostered by open debate, democratic accountability, and respect for civil rights.
If we value our democracy, we must stand with our governors and city leaders—those closest to our communities—rather than allow federal troops to eclipse civilian law enforcement. And above all, we must exercise our First Amendment rights by showing up at marches, signing petitions, and holding our representatives to their duty to protect free speech and peaceful assembly.
The militarization of Los Angeles betrays everything that makes America exceptional. As a Democrat, as a veteran, and as a candidate for county legislature, I call on every citizen to reclaim our streets for democracy and freedom. Remind your senators and representatives that power without accountability is tyranny —and that our Constitution, not authoritarian whim, must always prevail.
