Current Events > Is Trump preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act? Signs are pointing that way

(+) Yeah! (+)

A joint Department of Defense and Homeland Security report will soon recommend whether or not to invoke the Insurrection Act over illegal migration

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/insurrection-act-president-trump-20201819.php

The clock is ticking down on a crucial but little-noticed part of President Donald Trumps first round of executive orders the one tasking the secretaries of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to submit a joint report, within 90 days, recommending whether to invoke the Insurrection Act.

Many of us are now holding our collective breath, knowing that the report and what it contains could put us on the slippery slope toward unchecked presidential power under a man with an affinity for ironfisted dictators.

Adding to the suspense was the recent Friday Night Massacre at the Pentagon the firing of the nations top uniformed officer and removing other perceived guardrails (i.e., the top uniformed lawyers at the Army, Navy and Air Force) standing between the president and his long-stated intention to declare martial law upon returning to power.

Coincidence?

As we wait to find out, this would be a good time to take a closer look.

Say, for example, that Trump were to invoke the Insurrection Act and declare martial law. He wouldnt even be required, by the letter of the law, to allege an insurrection. All that would be required is to assert that unlawful obstruction has made it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States (as President Dwight D. Eisenhower did when he ordered the Arkansas National Guard to enforce the desegregation of Little Rock, Ark., schools).

This is where all the false claims and outright lies Trump and his political allies have been pushing will come into play: Trump falsely alleging, for example, that an entire city in Colorado has been taken over by Venezuelan street gangs, that a city in Ohio has been overrun by Haitian refugees who are eating all the cats and dogs, and other vague assertions that millions and millions of illegals are pouring into our country every week (or day depending on whos telling the lie at the moment).

Each of these false claims and outright lies could be distilled, to declare martial law, into catchy phrases (beginning with the legalese word Whereas) to establish the legal premise for invoking the Insurrection Act, and to lay the predicate to begin going door-to-door, wherever they please, under the pretense of searching for undocumented immigrants who dont exist.

Despite the logistical complexity, not to mention the sheer size of U.S. territory and population, implementing martial law could move quickly. Take that city in Colorado, for example:

For months leading up to the election, Trump and his surrogates spread wild lies about Aurora, promising extensive immigration raids, if elected.

Aurora just happens to already have its own Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, plus a military base, which has just been tapped to serve as a temporary detention center.

Project 2025 further proposes to push past Trumps plan already in progress (but reportedly being phased out), to house up to 30,000 detainees on a rolling basis at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba by bringing Guantanamo to a town near you: setting up additional Guantanamos scattered out all across the country.

One such potential Guantanamo I believe to be under consideration is the former Leavenworth Detention Center, a former outpost of our nations for-profit prison industrial complex located near Kansas City, Mo. Nearby residents are up in arms, hoping to prevent the site, previously closed due to egregious human rights violations, from being reopened. I recently made a trip to see it and was horrified by the thought of hundreds, if not thousands, of undocumented families being herded there like the cattle who graze across the street.

Of course, any of these Guantanamos could also potentially be used to detain U.S. citizens now that Trump is testing the waters on stripping U.S. citizens of citizenship. Vice President JD Vance has suggested that should the courts rule against the president on terminating birthright citizenship, Dear Leader could simply ignore the order.

But what about civil disobedience? you might ask. You cant just turn America into North Korea overnight!

The only thing that stopped Trump the last time he ordered the military to open fire on American protesters (Cant you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?) was the refusal by his then-defense secretary and top general to carry out his order.

Fast forward four years, and the venture capitalist slated to be our next top general is a Conservative Political Action Conference darling who Trump claims was wearing a MAGA hat when the two met previously in Iraq.

Other vacancies waiting to be filled are the top uniformed lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force the three-star generals responsible for reviewing orders from the commander-in-chief and defense secretary, to decide whether theyre legal. Seeking to remove any doubt as to why the previous officers were being removed, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently explained that the action was taken, preemptively, to prevent them from blocking orders that are given by a commander in chief.

Thanks for saying the quiet part out loud. Sounds like Trump is well on his way to finding the right yes men this time around.

Meanwhile, dont take your eyes off Elon Musk.

Whelp, this isn't good.

I'm sure it totally won't say to do it.

Nice job America.

The camps will eventually switch from detainment to extermination. The nazi camps didn't start out with killing at first either.

Do you think it's possible for an entire nation to be insane?

- Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment

A fair few Discworld books are mighty relevant to these interesting times. Night Watch, Snuff, Thud!, Monstrous Regiment, etc.

Things like civil rights and the present day 40 hour work week were not fought on through good feelings. People today have forgotten than the robber barrons were perfectly fine gunning down and killing dissent to keep their status quo. And that has not changed.

Or maybe they haven't forgotten and they are just like me. Scared and not willing to give up my life to fight for what's right. Praying someone else would fight that fight for me. Despite it ever increasingly looking like those who would are not showing up.

But Kamala was worse, remember that.

Time for a general strike? It only takes about 3.5 % of the population.

Now is the time to stand up and do stuff.

But egg prices, or Kamala didnt earn your vote and her laugh

Seriously if trump does this then he is going full blown dictator, he isnt going to give up power

that's rich comin from the guy who incited an insurrection himself

I sure do hope those Democrats learned their lesson

No bright ideas here. Maybe I will get one when trump invokes it.

Various protests are being planned still. This weekend has a bunch all over the U.S. I suggest people get involved.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


He'll go back. Back to decisions like Dred Scott.

NintendoFan81 posted...

Time for a general strike? It only takes about 3.5 % of the population.

Most of the union jobs have been targeted and reduced for this reason. General strike solidarity is much less impactful across state lines.

Strider102 posted...

But Kamala was worse, remember that.

Democrats, republicans, whats the difference???

Yep, this was stated in Project 2025.

This was known before the election

Put Them in Trauma: Inside a Key MAGA Leaders Plans for a New Trump Agenda
https://www.propublica.org/article/video-donald-trump-russ-vought-center-renewing-america-maga

In his 2024 speech, Vought said he was spending the majority of his time helping lead Project 2025 and drafting an agenda for a future Trump presidency. We have detailed agency plans, he said. We are writing the actual executive orders. We are writing the actual regulations now, and we are sorting out the legal authorities for all of what President Trump is running on.

Vought laid out how his think tank is crafting the legal rationale for invoking the Insurrection Act, a law that gives the president broad power to use the military for domestic law enforcement. The Washington Post previously reported the issue was at the top of the Center for Renewing Americas priorities.

Trump Draft Executive Order Would Create Board to Purge Generals
If an executive order is enacted, it could fast-track removal of admirals
https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trump-draft-executive-order-would-create-board-to-purge-generals-7ebaa606

And of course it will be on Hitler's birthday. Make sure your passports are up to date if you have to flee, Americans.

-ZIO- posted...

Things like civil rights and the present day 40 hour work week were not fought on through good feelings. People today have forgotten than the robber barrons were perfectly fine gunning down and killing dissent to keep their status quo. And that has not changed.

Or maybe they haven't forgotten and they are just like me. Scared and not willing to give up my life to fight for what's right. Praying someone else would fight that fight for me. Despite it ever increasingly looking like those who would are not showing up.

The rich and powerful of that time were the same then as they are now. They think their wealth allows them to control people and protects them from negative consequences.

"I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half." - Jay Gould, US financier & railroad businessman (1836 - 1892)

We're all worried about ourselves and our own livelihoods, so until those things are truly in jeopardy, I don't think people are going to be ready to put up real resistance. I think things will have to get much worse for many of the people living in this country before people start putting up a "real" fight.

Scardude posted...

Most of the union jobs have been targeted and reduced for this reason. General strike solidarity is much less impactful across state lines.

I would bet most of the fed workers that have been fired will protest. These people were just trying to do their jobs.

More people are waking up on a regular basis. So I bet a general strike is more realistic as time goes on.