Gavin Newsom vs. Donald Trump: Democracy on the Line
Trump’s unauthorized deployment of the California National Guard to suppress ICE protests symbolizes the growing battle between state rights and federal overreach in America’s democratic crisis.
Today is a dark day for American democracy. The United States of America, which stood as the beacon of liberty for nearly three centuries, extinguished that light today.
Democracies are based on the sharing of power. Power is shared between different branches, levels, and leaders. The question remains, what happens when that balance of power is deliberately ignored? Who holds the wielder of power to account? What enforcement mechanism do these checks and balances truly have?
It’s no coincidence that I chose to discuss this matter now. Donald Trump has crossed the line. Yes, he’s done it before, but this time—this time it’s different.
In a blatant violation of both the U.S. Constitution and federal law, Donald Trump unilaterally directed the Secretary of Defense to deploy the California National Guard to Los Angeles, not at the request of the Governor of California, but to suppress the growing protests against ICE detention and deportation. Thousands have participated in these protests calling for immigration reform, the end of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detentions, and these protests have not been classified as a state emergency. With this in mind, it is important to note that Governor Gavin Newsom had neither requested federal assistance nor activated the California National Guard, over which he holds command unless federalized. Nevertheless, Donald Trump bypassed the state’s authority, ordering the Secretary of Defense to deploy the Guard and invoking the Insurrection Act. This move directly challenges the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the deployment of federal troops on U.S. soil except in cases of war or insurrection.
It gets worse. Federal and local law enforcement have been overtly aggressive, resorting to tear gas, pepper spray, and non-lethal rounds to quell and disperse the protests. Granted, in situations involving violence, some of these measures may be necessary. But off the top of my head, I can think of at least two instances where that justification doesn’t hold: (1) an Australian journalist struck by a rubber bullet without provocation, and (2) a man trampled and stepped on by LAPD Mounted Units and their horses, despite clearly surrendering and offering no resistance.
Each instance of unjustified aggression, every violation of the Constitution, and the constant stoking of unrest is exactly what Trump wants. This marks the beginning of a long and dangerous unraveling of democracy, a steady march toward authoritarianism in the United States.
First, there was the public feud with Elon Musk, who provocatively claimed that Trump would not have won without his influence. Then came immigration enforcement practices that, while targeting undocumented immigrants, increasingly bypass due process, with many deported to CECOT, El Salvador’s notorious prison complex, without legal recourse. Even American citizens have reportedly been detained. Now, we have seen the California National Guard deployed to suppress protests, not at the request of the Governor, but at Trump’s unilateral command. Each move chips away at democratic norms and reinforces a vision of power that is centralized, unchecked, and indifferent to the rule of law.
Just this morning, Donald Trump called for the arrest of sitting California Governor Gavin Newsom. Plain and simple, that is insanity. And no, this is not normal, it’s not a “joke,” and it’s certainly not just another example of how “nothing Trump says should be taken seriously.” This is real life. These are real people’s lives. Trump has no regard for democracy, he will act as he pleases. And don’t assume that a Republican-controlled Congress or a conservative Supreme Court majority will stop him. Whether through complicity or inaction, the guardrails of American democracy are eroding right before our eyes.
And Trump framing this as a matter of “law and order” is deeply hypocritical, especially given his refusal to deploy the National Guard during the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. That moment posed a direct threat to the very democratic institutions he now claims to defend.
Thankfully, Gavin Newsom is not backing down and is taking the fight directly to Trump, with the California Attorney General suing Donald Trump and his administration for their illegal deployment of American troops in Los Angeles. Suffice it to say, this is the beginning of a long legal and political battle. But in reality, it’s so much more than that. The events of the last seventy-two hours serve as a point of reference to the fragility of democracy and the clear and inevitable fact that the United States is slipping away from its role as a leader of the free world as authoritarianism slowly takes its place.