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Michael Corthell's avatar

“Do Not Give In to Him”: Trump’s Assault on American Democracy Has Begun

Donald Trump has crossed the Rubicon.

When he federalized California’s National Guard against the wishes of Governor Newsom, then deployed Marines and ICE agents to suppress peaceful protests in Los Angeles, he wasn’t restoring order. He was declaring war—on dissent, on state authority, and on the Constitution itself.

This is not about immigration. This is about control.

Trump’s own words reveal the truth. Protesters “will be met with very big force.” Federal agents are already assaulting journalists. A sitting governor and mayor have been threatened with arrest for refusing to comply. This is authoritarianism unfolding in real time.

Gavin Newsom is right to sound the alarm: “California may be first, but it clearly will not end here.”

Trump’s vision is one of kayfabe dominance, where violence is spectacle and cruelty is currency. He seeks not to lead but to conquer—turning our military inward and hollowing out the very rule of law that defines our republic.

This is the moment we feared. And now that it’s here, the choice is stark: stand silently and watch democracy fall, or speak, march, organize, and resist while we still can.

There is no going back to normal. Only forward. With courage.

Do not give in to him.

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Noel Wright's avatar

Mussolini.

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Public Servant's avatar

Thank you for interviewing mayor Pete! We need more diverse candidates for 2028. AOC/Crockett would be the most inclusive and powerful in history! https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/aoc-crockett-2028

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robert e williamson jr's avatar

We need talented leadership not crooks!

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Richard Burrill's avatar

"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." - Thomas Jefferson

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Russell John Netto's avatar

There was an essay in yesterday's London Review of Books by American author Anahid Nersessian (ICE's War on Home) that mentioned a comment by a local resident of Los Angeles, which apparently has gone viral. I imagine many of you will have already seen it, but I think it's worth repeating it here because I'm sure it reflects the dismay of many Angelenos:

"It’s really hard to fathom that the guy making my pizza for 25 years is a gangster and a terrorist, and the person who shows up in an unmarked car wearing a mask and body armour to take him away is somehow the good guy."

Nersessian points out that under Clinton the Border Control tripled in size and under Obama, the ICE budget increased to match the combined budgets of the other enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the CIA. So if Senator Fetterman is worried about the Democrats losing the high ground if they fail to condemn the sporadic violence of some protesters, well I guess he can relax because that boat has well and truly sailed.

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Noel Wright's avatar

The “Thought Police” combine arms with the “Body Snatchers” equals “Totalitarian Fascism”: any questions? Please consult the Butcher of Moscow, the Emperor of China, or any other tinpot tyrant that comes to mind(among hundreds of current and future candidates)! My suggestion: keep your “relationship” with any human-spawned “AI” to an extreme minimum! Do not engage (especially, emotionally) with any artificial entity, whose creators almost certainly had their own financial interests in mind, rather than saving your soul from yourself.

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Russell John Netto's avatar

Something to bear in mind!

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Richard Burrill's avatar

"Stupid people," Trump says. Speaking of stupid people, Trump only needs to look at those folks who populate his regime.

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Patricia W. Cole's avatar

I'm sure Gov. Newsom can handle his state. It will be one of the first, but it will not be the last. Mr. Trump's " assault on Democracy" needs to be stopped!! GOD, HELP THE USA !!

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Noel Wright's avatar

I say, God Bless You, Patricia! You are a true patriot unlike so many self-serving people who want a fascist government.

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Satish Chohan's avatar

He is the front face of the republican Trojan Horse that slipped in while were asleep. Now our mission is to drive the horse out of lives, meaning rank and file republicans out of congress/senate and defeat the foot soldiers, namely, the deep pockets who are the Rober barons of modern era, The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society, ALEC, Citizens United, and the Right-Wing media network. Seeing what is happening in LA and many other cities, our democracy is in ER. For more factual research data, read "Trojan Horse: Democracy Hijacked".

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robert e williamson jr's avatar

Boy am I glad to see someone besides me understands the true stakes involved in this struggle.

We have a small public school system here, a superintendent joined our school district a few years ago. One who attacked the entire institution including ensuring even funding was getting cut.

One example was cleaning out the schools trophy case. No Joke her claim to fame was she had worked with Bill Gate's Foundation. ALEC to her core. These people are not to be taken lightly, trust me. She is long gone now.

ALEC - The American Legislative Exchange Council. See for yourself.

https://www.alecexposed.org

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Noel Wright's avatar

ALEC is is a hard rightwing cookie cutter civil society destroyer. I would be surprised is more than five percent of their bullshit legislative machine results in anything even slightly productive to the average American. If our society still has significant problems today, ALEC and of course, the cookie-cutter Reactionary Repugnicans in every state must bear the responsibility for their backsliding racist devolution, as manifested by every “anti-DEI” action taken in only 120 days or so. This is world-wide bigotry and corruption in full public view; it seems similar to a bad version of a Gladiator-type cinema except where the evil emperor gets to sentence his political enemies to be thrown before deadly animals in the arena; and then he decides the enslaved’s fate, with a thumbs up, or else a thumbs down. Anyway, to him, It’s all just bread and circuses, right?

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Megan Rothery's avatar

Call. Write. Email. Protest peacefully. Unrelentingly.

Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk

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Barbara Grinell's avatar

I will protest. thank you for what you do.

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Alexandra Barcus's avatar

“Big force” is not a standard expression. English is not his first language.

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john schwiebert's avatar

He (Trump) doesn't understand that the harder he pushes, the harder we the people push back.

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Vivien Bloomerbliss's avatar

Need aerial photos to see what his parameters are.

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Maggie's avatar

TCinLA showed a map of LA - A tiny neighborhood is the focus of this mess - the rest of the city of LA is going about their business normally!

Whether or not you are interested in the article - the map tells exactly what a small area is involved. Nothing like what the media is showing!

https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/poking-around-while-the-shitstorm?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=395367&post_id=165728379&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=b9ign&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

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Jo Burns's avatar

Do not bend the knee, except to sit down for a peaceful protest. Trump's assault on democracy began in 2016. He set the stage and now he's back center front using his likeness, hate and lies to totally create an authoritarian fascist state.

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Leslie Janoe's avatar

I’m not sure why Gavin Newsom doesn’t activate the rest of his army guard to prevent the president from it or force him to overrule it…. Then fight on the second amendment guaranteeing a state a right to a militia. How can a state have a militia if the president can simply federalize it against a gov wishes

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Leslie Janoe's avatar

Yes! It would be great to see Gov. Newsom take this on as a Second Amendment issue! https://www.threads.com/@adam_kinzinger/post/DKsxS_9s6Y5?xmt=AQF05g_NMRsXpHa2fbmpPLsv7__TkKkK8dWj3yl7vTMu_A

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Stacey Jenkins's avatar

Thank you Heather! The corruption is too much

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