WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 All right. Welcome back to the deep dive. You've 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:04.719 shared some source material with us centered 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.759 around the recent pretty intense events unfolding 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.839 in California and we are ready to jump in. Yes. 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:12.859 Specifically the core source we're digging into 00:00:12.859 --> 00:00:16.000 today is this article from ElectoralVoteNews 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:21.179 .pdf. It really takes a close look at the Trump 00:00:21.179 --> 00:00:23.620 administration's deployment of the National Guard 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:26.089 and Marines down in Los Angeles. Right. So our 00:00:26.089 --> 00:00:28.449 mission for this deep dive is to unpack everything 00:00:28.449 --> 00:00:31.489 presented in this specific material. We want 00:00:31.489 --> 00:00:35.049 to understand the context it provides, the reported 00:00:35.049 --> 00:00:37.649 legal basis, or perhaps, as the source seems 00:00:37.649 --> 00:00:41.390 to suggest, the potential lack thereof. The political 00:00:41.390 --> 00:00:43.170 backdrop, as it's described in the article, and 00:00:43.170 --> 00:00:45.369 what the source believes are the potential implications 00:00:45.369 --> 00:00:47.850 of these actions. And yeah, just to stress, we're 00:00:47.850 --> 00:00:49.450 sticking strictly to what you've given us in 00:00:49.450 --> 00:00:51.850 this source. It's all about getting you, the 00:00:51.850 --> 00:00:54.109 listener, quickly informed on what is, let's 00:00:54.109 --> 00:00:57.159 face it, a complex rapidly developing situation, 00:00:57.320 --> 00:00:59.600 but seen through the lens of this one particular 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.920 document. Okay, so let's start where the article 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.599 starts, right? With that immediate news hook. 00:01:06.659 --> 00:01:09.500 The headline grabbing events in Los Angeles over 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:12.560 the past week. Exactly. The source kicks things 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:16.079 off by highlighting a specific viewpoint, quoting 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:18.599 Senator Chris Murphy from an interview he did 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:23.140 on MSNBC's Morning Joe. Ah, right. And as reported 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:25.260 here, he apparently seemed to view these events, 00:01:26.500 --> 00:01:28.019 you know, the fight with Elon Musk, the National 00:01:28.019 --> 00:01:30.900 Guard deployment, mostly is just a distraction 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:32.840 from the budget bill. Yeah, I saw that. He was 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:35.099 quoted stressing that Democrats needed to keep 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:37.219 their eye on the ball. And the ball for him was 00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:39.780 apparently this big, beautiful budget bill. Well, 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:41.739 this is where the source immediately pushes back. 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:44.319 And they do it quite strongly. They could call 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:48.230 that analysis tone deaf and wrong headed. And 00:01:48.230 --> 00:01:50.510 the article doesn't just disagree, does it? It 00:01:50.510 --> 00:01:53.049 actually lays out four specific reasons why it 00:01:53.049 --> 00:01:55.250 thinks that perspective is, well, misguided. 00:01:55.290 --> 00:01:57.290 What's the first big one? Well, the source argues 00:01:57.290 --> 00:01:59.609 pretty forcefully that the California action 00:01:59.609 --> 00:02:03.709 is somewhere between extremely unusual and maybe 00:02:03.709 --> 00:02:06.269 even completely unprecedented compared to, you 00:02:06.269 --> 00:02:08.270 know, typical budget bills, which are kind of 00:02:08.270 --> 00:02:11.409 a regular, if sometimes messy part of the political 00:02:11.409 --> 00:02:15.449 process. This military deployment is just. It's 00:02:15.449 --> 00:02:17.870 in a different league altogether. According to 00:02:17.870 --> 00:02:20.229 them that makes sense. I mean a budget bill there 00:02:20.229 --> 00:02:22.710 are precedents procedures Yeah, this sounds like 00:02:22.710 --> 00:02:24.409 something else entirely at least the way it's 00:02:24.409 --> 00:02:26.229 described here. What's the second reason they 00:02:26.229 --> 00:02:29.069 give? This is a major point. The source really 00:02:29.069 --> 00:02:32.849 hammers home a Budget bill, you know, no matter 00:02:32.849 --> 00:02:35.569 how flawed someone might think it is isn't going 00:02:35.569 --> 00:02:37.930 to destroy the foundations of democratic government 00:02:37.930 --> 00:02:41.129 That's their phrasing right? But the source warns 00:02:41.129 --> 00:02:44.449 this California action depending on how it unfolds 00:02:44.449 --> 00:02:47.009 has the potential to be and I'm quoting again 00:02:46.939 --> 00:02:50.159 the beginnings of the end. That's a pretty stark 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:52.159 contrast they're drawing there. It really is. 00:02:52.300 --> 00:02:54.860 Wow. And the third reason, that involved reversibility, 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:57.120 didn't it? Exactly. You know, a budget bill can 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.919 be reversed, power changes hands, policies get 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:03.099 undone. It happens. But the kind of damage that 00:03:03.099 --> 00:03:05.139 could be done in California right now, according 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:08.219 to the source, could be irreversible. They're 00:03:08.219 --> 00:03:10.460 arguing this isn't just about policy adjustments. 00:03:10.819 --> 00:03:13.379 It's about actions that could have really lasting, 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:16.180 maybe permanent consequences. And finally, there's 00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:18.000 just a practical point, right? Yeah, the source 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.719 notes that, hey, the budget bill hasn't actually 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:23.919 passed yet. It doesn't seem close. So it's entirely 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:26.080 practical, maybe even necessary according to 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.280 them, to focus attention on what's happening 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:31.800 in California right now and worry about the budget 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:33.560 bill later when it's actually closer to happening. 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:36.400 So putting all that together, the source's conclusion 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:39.069 is pretty unambiguous. They keep saying, you 00:03:39.069 --> 00:03:41.710 know, what's happening is extremely unusual to 00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:43.889 completely unprecedented, potentially the beginnings 00:03:43.889 --> 00:03:46.590 of the end. And they state really emphatically, 00:03:46.650 --> 00:03:49.370 this is not normal. This is, in fact, about as 00:03:49.370 --> 00:03:52.270 far from normal as it gets. And based on all 00:03:52.270 --> 00:03:54.770 that, the article argues that now is the time 00:03:54.770 --> 00:03:57.150 to push back. It seems like their view is that 00:03:57.150 --> 00:03:59.889 this isn't a distraction. It is the critical 00:03:59.889 --> 00:04:03.030 issue demanding attention. Right. And to really 00:04:03.030 --> 00:04:06.509 grasp the the weight of these events that they 00:04:06.509 --> 00:04:08.289 see it. The source actually takes us back for 00:04:08.289 --> 00:04:10.830 a bit of a civics lesson. It provides some crucial 00:04:10.830 --> 00:04:13.210 historical background on military force in the 00:04:13.210 --> 00:04:15.770 U .S. OK. Let's unpack this history because the 00:04:15.770 --> 00:04:18.189 source argues it's key to understanding the legal 00:04:18.189 --> 00:04:20.209 framework today goes way back to the founders. 00:04:20.310 --> 00:04:23.410 Right. In the 1780s. Yeah. They were really grappling 00:04:23.410 --> 00:04:25.829 with this problem. Yeah. How do you have military 00:04:25.829 --> 00:04:29.019 force available when you need it. But. avoid 00:04:29.019 --> 00:04:31.699 recreating the kind of power abuses they just 00:04:31.699 --> 00:04:34.259 escaped with the King of England standing army. 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:37.000 Plus, travel was incredibly slow back then. Defending 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.180 a large country quickly was a huge challenge. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.399 Exactly. So their initial solution, as the source 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:45.240 lays it out, was to rely heavily on state and 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:46.939 local militias. These were supposed to be, you 00:04:46.939 --> 00:04:49.560 know, volunteer citizen soldiers ready for quick 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:51.759 local defense. The idea being this allowed the 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:54.699 new nation to avoid maintaining a large, expensive 00:04:54.699 --> 00:04:57.060 and maybe most importantly, potentially dangerous 00:04:57.060 --> 00:04:59.610 federal standing. Army. Right. And this thinking 00:04:59.610 --> 00:05:02.870 led directly to the Insurrection Act of 1792. 00:05:03.689 --> 00:05:05.910 What did that actually allow the federal government 00:05:05.910 --> 00:05:08.189 to do? Well, it gave the federal government the 00:05:08.189 --> 00:05:10.810 power to deploy U .S. armed forces domestically. 00:05:11.170 --> 00:05:13.850 But, and this is key only in specific limited 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:17.290 circumstances, basically to suppress rebellion 00:05:17.290 --> 00:05:20.810 when it was the term used was impracticable, 00:05:20.970 --> 00:05:23.490 meaning not really practical, to handle it using 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:26.350 just state or local means. So a federal option, 00:05:26.550 --> 00:05:29.449 yeah, but clearly intended as a last resort for 00:05:29.449 --> 00:05:32.649 a really serious situation. Then the source points 00:05:32.649 --> 00:05:35.269 out things started to shift pretty significantly 00:05:35.269 --> 00:05:38.089 post -Civil War in the 1860s. Right, modern warfare 00:05:38.089 --> 00:05:40.089 was changing things. Yeah, it became clear that 00:05:40.089 --> 00:05:43.910 relying solely on sort of ad hoc militias wasn't 00:05:43.910 --> 00:05:46.389 going to cut it anymore. The U .S. needed a more 00:05:46.389 --> 00:05:48.589 professional, standardized military force. And 00:05:48.589 --> 00:05:51.149 that shift prompted several key laws that really 00:05:51.149 --> 00:05:52.829 defined the relationship between those state 00:05:52.829 --> 00:05:55.269 militias and the growing professional army. First 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:58.670 up, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. Yes, this 00:05:58.670 --> 00:06:00.509 is a really important one, still very relevant 00:06:00.509 --> 00:06:03.110 today. It basically prohibits the use of federal 00:06:03.110 --> 00:06:05.689 troops like the army or air force for domestic 00:06:05.689 --> 00:06:08.750 law enforcement purposes, actively policing civilians. 00:06:08.990 --> 00:06:11.670 It clarified that state militias, which were 00:06:11.670 --> 00:06:13.410 evolving into what we now know as the National 00:06:13.410 --> 00:06:16.329 Guard, could enforce laws within their own state, 00:06:16.850 --> 00:06:18.970 but generally only with the governor's consent. 00:06:19.129 --> 00:06:21.389 And they could operate in other states too. Yeah, 00:06:21.589 --> 00:06:23.709 again, usually needing the consent of the governors 00:06:23.709 --> 00:06:27.709 involved. The big exception remained those Insurrection 00:06:27.709 --> 00:06:30.709 Act circumstances allowing federal military involvement 00:06:30.709 --> 00:06:33.209 in specific rebellion scenarios. Okay, so keep 00:06:33.209 --> 00:06:35.970 federal troops out of local policing unless there's 00:06:35.970 --> 00:06:38.670 a declared insurrection, basically. What came 00:06:38.670 --> 00:06:41.670 next, according to the source? Then you get the 00:06:41.670 --> 00:06:44.509 Dick Act of 1903 and the National Defense Act 00:06:44.509 --> 00:06:48.449 of 1916. These acts really formalized the National 00:06:48.449 --> 00:06:50.449 Guard system as we kind of recognize it. How 00:06:50.449 --> 00:06:53.610 so? They set uniform standards so Guard units 00:06:53.610 --> 00:06:55.670 could train and operate alongside the federal 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:59.290 military. And crucially, they expanded the president's 00:06:59.290 --> 00:07:02.029 authority to federalize these troops. Federalize 00:07:02.029 --> 00:07:04.410 meaning bring them under direct federal command. 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:07.040 Exactly. For broader circumstances than just 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:09.180 defending their home state, like for service 00:07:09.180 --> 00:07:12.360 overseas, which became huge later, or even deployment 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:15.019 in other states under federal control. That was 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:17.199 a big expansion of presidential power over the 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:19.300 guard. OK, so that's a significant shift. More 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:21.910 federal control possible. Definitely. And then 00:07:21.910 --> 00:07:24.069 finally, the structure we largely operate under 00:07:24.069 --> 00:07:27.769 today was codified in 1956 with Title X and Title 00:07:27.769 --> 00:07:30.509 32 of the U .S. Code. Right. Title X and Title 00:07:30.509 --> 00:07:32.550 32. What's the difference, according to the source? 00:07:32.750 --> 00:07:35.509 So the source explains Title X generally gives 00:07:35.509 --> 00:07:37.689 the president more latitude to federalize the 00:07:37.689 --> 00:07:40.430 Guard, putting them under federal command. But 00:07:40.430 --> 00:07:42.670 importantly, usually only in a supporting role 00:07:42.670 --> 00:07:45.230 domestically, not typically to directly enforce 00:07:45.230 --> 00:07:48.250 laws themselves unless specific conditions like 00:07:48.250 --> 00:07:51.149 the Insurrection Act are met. and Title 32. Title 00:07:51.149 --> 00:07:53.850 32 outlines roles where the Guard remains under 00:07:53.850 --> 00:07:56.389 State Command under the Governor, but often with 00:07:56.389 --> 00:07:58.550 federal funding and approval for specific missions 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.439 or training. Think disaster relief coordination, 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:03.920 border support missions approved federally but 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:06.060 run by the state. It really sounds like this 00:08:06.060 --> 00:08:09.240 whole history as the source presents it is this 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:12.120 constant back and forth generations of leaders 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:15.139 trying to find that balance, right? Between needing 00:08:15.139 --> 00:08:17.920 military strength and flexibility for security 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.839 and the fundamental need to protect citizens 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:23.259 liberties from potential government overreach 00:08:23.259 --> 00:08:26.199 using that same military force. That's exactly 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:28.040 the tension the source highlights throughout 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:30.129 this historical overview. It's a balancing act. 00:08:30.569 --> 00:08:32.330 Okay. So let's take that legal framework the 00:08:32.330 --> 00:08:34.789 source laid out, Posse Comitatus, Title 10, Title 00:08:34.789 --> 00:08:37.509 32, and see how the National Guard typically 00:08:37.509 --> 00:08:40.070 serves in the real world based on what the article 00:08:40.070 --> 00:08:42.070 describes. Right. The most common type of service 00:08:42.070 --> 00:08:44.769 you see, what the source calls normal service, 00:08:45.450 --> 00:08:48.340 is purely under spate governor authority. Like 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:51.379 responding to natural disasters? Exactly. Hurricanes, 00:08:51.700 --> 00:08:53.700 wildfires, floods. That's classic guard work. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:56.080 Or sometimes supporting local authorities after 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.539 manmade incidents like mass shootings or bombings, 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:00.759 but still under the governor's control within 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:02.399 their state. Okay, that makes sense. Governor 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:04.639 calls them up for state emergencies. Then there's 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:07.539 Title 32 service. Now here, the guard is still 00:09:07.539 --> 00:09:09.639 technically under the state governor's command. 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:12.580 But the mission itself has presidential approval 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:16.450 and, crucially, federal funding. Examples. The 00:09:16.450 --> 00:09:19.309 source gives examples like border security operations 00:09:19.309 --> 00:09:21.769 where they might assist federal agencies but 00:09:21.769 --> 00:09:24.230 remain under state control or maybe maintaining 00:09:24.230 --> 00:09:27.070 civil order after massive disasters like during 00:09:27.070 --> 00:09:29.389 Hurricane Katrina where federal resources are 00:09:29.389 --> 00:09:31.610 needed but state leadership is still primary. 00:09:32.210 --> 00:09:34.590 Okay so state command but with federal partnership 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:37.389 and money and the third type. That's Title 10 00:09:37.389 --> 00:09:39.629 service. This is where the president assumes 00:09:39.629 --> 00:09:42.350 direct federal command. The guard members essentially 00:09:42.350 --> 00:09:44.409 become federal troops for that period. And this 00:09:44.409 --> 00:09:47.399 is usually for often for foreign deployments. 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:49.779 Guard units have been heavily involved in places 00:09:49.779 --> 00:09:52.919 like Iraq and Afghanistan under Title 10. Domestically, 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:55.600 it can also include specific instances like supporting 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:58.159 federal law enforcement operations or historically 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.419 quelling riots. But again, only when explicitly 00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:03.860 nationalized under federal control. The source 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:07.440 provides some Pretty interesting historical examples 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.820 of presidents actually nationalizing state militias 00:10:10.820 --> 00:10:13.440 or the Guard, right? Yeah, they mentioned Abraham 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:16.240 Lincoln nationalizing state militias at the very 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:18.519 start of the Civil War, though the source adds 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:21.580 that this was, quote, generally disastrous, which 00:10:21.580 --> 00:10:23.639 apparently contributed to the push for a more 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:26.100 professional federal army afterwards. And it's 00:10:26.100 --> 00:10:28.980 wild that after Lincoln, according to the source, 00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:31.460 no president tried to nationalize Guard units 00:10:31.460 --> 00:10:33.980 for almost 100 years. Right. Until the Civil 00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:37.029 Rights era. in the 1950s and 60s. The source 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:39.629 notes that then the National Guard was occasionally 00:10:39.629 --> 00:10:41.889 nationalized, sometimes without the consent of 00:10:41.889 --> 00:10:44.409 segregationist state governors, specifically 00:10:44.409 --> 00:10:46.950 to enforce federal desegregation laws and protect 00:10:46.950 --> 00:10:49.269 Black Southerners. Which really shows the federal 00:10:49.269 --> 00:10:51.950 government using that ultimate authority to override 00:10:51.950 --> 00:10:54.529 state opposition in the face of, you know, blatant 00:10:54.529 --> 00:10:57.029 civil rights violations, a very specific context. 00:10:57.830 --> 00:11:00.309 Precisely. However, the source points out that 00:11:00.309 --> 00:11:03.049 after the civil rights era, the trend generally 00:11:03.049 --> 00:11:05.860 shifted back. when nationalization has occurred 00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:08.019 more recently, like during the LA riots back 00:11:08.019 --> 00:11:11.240 in 1992, it was typically done with the consent 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:13.100 and cooperation of the state governors involved. 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:16.100 So, again, that theme the source keeps returning 00:11:16.100 --> 00:11:19.039 to, generations trying to balance that federal 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:21.620 power and state autonomy flexibility for national 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:25.039 security versus protecting civil liberties. It's 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.000 a pattern they definitely see playing out right 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:29.500 now in California. Okay, shifting gears a bit, 00:11:29.779 --> 00:11:32.789 the source makes a strong case. that these events 00:11:32.789 --> 00:11:36.350 in California didn't just pop up out of nowhere. 00:11:36.570 --> 00:11:38.710 There was a significant buildup in context they 00:11:38.710 --> 00:11:40.870 want us to understand. Absolutely. The article 00:11:40.870 --> 00:11:43.009 points to this longstanding political backdrop. 00:11:43.090 --> 00:11:46.409 There's been conservative animosity towards California 00:11:46.409 --> 00:11:49.889 for decades, often framing it as like a test 00:11:49.889 --> 00:11:52.169 case for liberal policies that conservatives 00:11:52.169 --> 00:11:53.909 see as failures. Plus you have the demographic 00:11:53.909 --> 00:11:56.409 reality, which the source notes. California is 00:11:56.409 --> 00:11:58.929 heading towards being majority Latino and Los 00:11:58.929 --> 00:12:02.049 Angeles already is. And they also mentioned Trump's 00:12:02.049 --> 00:12:04.149 personal history with the state, describing it 00:12:04.149 --> 00:12:06.970 as a sort of New Yorker disdain. and bring up 00:12:06.970 --> 00:12:09.929 past conflicts, like his reported refusal of 00:12:09.929 --> 00:12:13.169 federal aid after the big 2018 wildfires. Right. 00:12:13.350 --> 00:12:15.070 And here's where it gets connected to some broader 00:12:15.070 --> 00:12:16.889 political planning, according to the source. 00:12:17.389 --> 00:12:19.210 They bring up the Center for Renewing America, 00:12:19.490 --> 00:12:22.710 or TCRA, founded by Russ Fogg, and its explicit 00:12:22.710 --> 00:12:28.090 link to Project 2025. Ah, OK. Project 2025. Yes. 00:12:28.169 --> 00:12:30.549 And the article highlights a specific plan that 00:12:30.549 --> 00:12:33.029 TCRA apparently posted online over a year ago. 00:12:33.210 --> 00:12:35.669 This plan, which the source claims Stephen Miller 00:12:35.669 --> 00:12:38.450 is intimately familiar with, basically proposes 00:12:38.450 --> 00:12:41.370 declaring undocumented immigration an invasion. 00:12:41.769 --> 00:12:44.549 An invasion? Why that specific word? Well, according 00:12:44.549 --> 00:12:46.570 to the source's description of the plan, using 00:12:46.570 --> 00:12:48.590 the word invasion is meant to provide a legal 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:51.210 justification for using the U .S. military domestically, 00:12:51.570 --> 00:12:54.549 potentially bypassing posse comitatus by invoking 00:12:54.549 --> 00:12:56.470 something like the Insurrection Act or related 00:12:56.470 --> 00:12:59.299 powers. Wow. OK, so that's a key connection the 00:12:59.299 --> 00:13:02.580 source makes seeing this potential pre -planning 00:13:02.580 --> 00:13:04.820 or theoretical framework laid out beforehand. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:06.679 And there was also some more immediate tension 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:09.340 between Trump and Governor Newsom recently. Yeah, 00:13:09.460 --> 00:13:12.039 right before these events kicked off, Trump reportedly 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:14.500 threatened to cut hundreds of billions in federal 00:13:14.500 --> 00:13:17.570 funding in California and Newsom. In response, 00:13:18.190 --> 00:13:20.669 reportedly threatened to withhold some $80 billion 00:13:20.669 --> 00:13:23.889 in tax payments. Withhold tax payments? How would 00:13:23.889 --> 00:13:26.769 that even work? The source admits the mechanism 00:13:26.769 --> 00:13:29.809 isn't totally clear, but they interpret it as 00:13:29.809 --> 00:13:32.450 possibly meaning withholding state employee income 00:13:32.450 --> 00:13:35.659 taxes that would normally go to the feds. Regardless 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:38.139 of the specifics, it clearly shows a really heightened 00:13:38.139 --> 00:13:40.399 state of conflict between the state and federal 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:43.059 administration right before the deployment. So 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:45.080 putting all that build up together, the history, 00:13:45.220 --> 00:13:48.379 the politics, the alleged pre -planning the source, 00:13:48.460 --> 00:13:50.659 presents a very strong view on the events themselves. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:53.500 They argue it was all carefully staged political 00:13:53.500 --> 00:13:56.039 theater for the benefit of the base. Yeah, they 00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:58.500 describe a specific sequence they believe was 00:13:58.500 --> 00:14:00.929 orchestrated. It started, according to the source, 00:14:01.350 --> 00:14:05.110 with ICE conducting operations using masks and 00:14:05.110 --> 00:14:08.649 riot gear and reportedly even targeting people 00:14:08.649 --> 00:14:10.669 who are actually trying to follow the rules to 00:14:10.669 --> 00:14:13.690 register or check in. OK, so provocative actions 00:14:13.690 --> 00:14:16.190 by ICE first. That's how the source frames it. 00:14:16.549 --> 00:14:19.309 These actions, they say, then triggered a public 00:14:19.309 --> 00:14:22.049 response, which the article describes as either 00:14:22.049 --> 00:14:25.009 entirely peaceful or nearly so. And then almost 00:14:25.009 --> 00:14:27.470 immediately after that peaceful or near peaceful 00:14:27.470 --> 00:14:30.019 response. tear gas and rubber bullets came out 00:14:30.019 --> 00:14:32.500 very quickly. The source includes this slightly 00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:34.759 ambiguous detail about checking with Newsom. 00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:37.799 The quote is, tear gas and rubber bullets quickly 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:40.539 check with Newsom. It's unclear if they did check 00:14:40.539 --> 00:14:42.799 or didn't check. But either way, the source implies 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:45.399 it was a calculated use of force, possibly connected 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:47.519 to provoking a reaction from the governor. And 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:50.279 to further support this idea of staging, the 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:52.139 source notes reports that White House staffers 00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:54.519 were apparently gushing about being happy to 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:57.009 have this fight to provoke this conflict. Right. 00:14:57.210 --> 00:15:00.110 And they also mention, almost as an aside, that 00:15:00.110 --> 00:15:02.629 Dr. Phil was apparently on the scene filming, 00:15:03.070 --> 00:15:05.549 similar to some earlier raids reported in Chicago, 00:15:06.129 --> 00:15:08.149 suggesting to the source that getting some camera 00:15:08.149 --> 00:15:10.830 time, creating visuals, was part of the goal. 00:15:11.049 --> 00:15:13.049 So the source's conclusion on this whole sequence 00:15:13.049 --> 00:15:16.549 is pretty firm, isn't it? Very. They state flatly. 00:15:17.009 --> 00:15:20.269 Nothing here was accidental or spontaneous. This 00:15:20.269 --> 00:15:22.649 sequence of events was all but inevitable because 00:15:22.649 --> 00:15:25.070 the Trump administration made it that way. That's 00:15:25.070 --> 00:15:27.669 their definitive take. Okay, so if the source 00:15:27.669 --> 00:15:30.769 believes it was carefully staged, pre -planned, 00:15:31.529 --> 00:15:35.309 the big question then becomes why now? Why this 00:15:35.309 --> 00:15:37.789 specific timing? Right. The article acknowledges, 00:15:37.789 --> 00:15:39.690 you know, the exact trigger might be unclear, 00:15:39.769 --> 00:15:41.950 but it does offer several potential theories 00:15:41.950 --> 00:15:45.000 or, as they call them, guesses. One possibility 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:47.519 the source floats is just pure distraction. They 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:49.299 point out it hadn't exactly been a great couple 00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:51.059 of weeks for the administration leading up to 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:52.740 this. What kind of things? Well, they mentioned 00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:55.600 ongoing difficulties with tariffs and trade wars, 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.500 some significant court losses like against universities 00:15:58.500 --> 00:16:01.460 at public spat with Elon Musk, and the budget 00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:04.820 bill itself seemed to be struggling. So perhaps 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:07.320 the source speculates this was a way to kind 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:09.679 of change the subject, shift the narrative. Makes 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:11.980 sense as a political tactic, potentially. What 00:16:11.980 --> 00:16:14.610 else? Another theory they put forward relates 00:16:14.610 --> 00:16:17.950 to a specific immigration case, the Kilmar -Abrego 00:16:17.950 --> 00:16:20.470 -Garcia case. Apparently, the administration 00:16:20.470 --> 00:16:22.889 recently took a loss in court related to that, 00:16:22.929 --> 00:16:25.490 and there was some negative media coverage questioning 00:16:25.490 --> 00:16:27.389 the weakness of their legal arguments in that 00:16:27.389 --> 00:16:30.429 area. OK. So the source guesses this might have 00:16:30.429 --> 00:16:33.090 created a sudden need to quickly manufacture 00:16:33.090 --> 00:16:35.590 some new evidence showing they're being strong 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:38.590 on border policy, even if staged. Anger is also 00:16:38.590 --> 00:16:41.210 listed as a potential factor, right? Yeah. The 00:16:41.210 --> 00:16:44.629 source describes Trump as always angry, but suggests 00:16:44.629 --> 00:16:47.230 his anger was particularly amplified by that 00:16:47.230 --> 00:16:49.649 recent very public argument with Elon Musk. So 00:16:49.649 --> 00:16:53.309 just lashing out? Potentially. The source speculates 00:16:53.309 --> 00:16:56.110 he might have just given the go -order as a way 00:16:56.110 --> 00:16:58.629 to vent frustration. And they add this really 00:16:58.629 --> 00:17:01.590 provocative line stating that for Trump, footage 00:17:01.590 --> 00:17:04.329 of police beating up Mexicans is chicken soup 00:17:04.329 --> 00:17:07.769 for the soul. That's quite a statement from the 00:17:07.769 --> 00:17:11.490 source about the perceived motive. Wow. OK. Any 00:17:11.490 --> 00:17:13.950 other theories mentioned? There's a more speculative 00:17:13.950 --> 00:17:16.430 guess related to the New Jersey election. They 00:17:16.430 --> 00:17:18.730 doubt it was the primary driver, but suggest 00:17:18.730 --> 00:17:21.069 if this action was planned for sometime soon 00:17:21.069 --> 00:17:23.809 anyway, maybe doing it during the Republican 00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.450 gubernatorial primary there could offer some 00:17:26.450 --> 00:17:30.390 bonus value. How so? By potentially helping the 00:17:30.390 --> 00:17:32.890 Trump endorse candidate, Jack Ciattarelli looked 00:17:32.890 --> 00:17:35.829 tough on related issues. Kind of a side benefit. 00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:38.500 if the timing worked out. And finally, there's 00:17:38.500 --> 00:17:41.059 this idea of a ticking clock. Yeah, the source 00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:43.019 notes that hurricane and tornado season is starting 00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:45.500 up. They suggest it might look a little packy, 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:47.660 their words, to be carrying out this kind of 00:17:47.660 --> 00:17:49.819 operation in a city that's potentially underwater 00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:52.299 or recovering from a major storm. And they add 00:17:52.299 --> 00:17:55.650 a little jab about. Right. They wryly add that 00:17:55.650 --> 00:17:57.730 since some weather forecasters have reportedly 00:17:57.730 --> 00:18:00.549 been fired, the administration might not even 00:18:00.549 --> 00:18:03.170 know exactly how much time they have left before 00:18:03.170 --> 00:18:04.849 the weather could make this kind of operation 00:18:04.849 --> 00:18:07.789 much more difficult or politically awkward. So 00:18:07.789 --> 00:18:10.269 again, the source stresses these are just guesses 00:18:10.269 --> 00:18:13.109 about the precise timing. Exactly. But their 00:18:13.109 --> 00:18:16.150 overall analysis assumes it wasn't random, that 00:18:16.150 --> 00:18:18.470 it connects back to what they see as a broader 00:18:18.470 --> 00:18:21.559 plan already in motion. OK, let's get into how 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:23.720 the deployment actually unfolded on the ground 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:25.900 in the streets of L .A., according to the source's 00:18:25.900 --> 00:18:28.359 account. It apparently starts with a really early 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.279 morning post from Trump on Sunday. Yeah, 2 .41 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:34.460 a .m. Eastern Time. He posted online about supposed 00:18:34.460 --> 00:18:37.380 unrest in L .A., blaming, quote, incompetent 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:41.240 Governor Newscom and Mayor Bass. Using his typical 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:43.920 nicknames there. Right. He declared that radical 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:46.849 left protests. by instigators and often paid 00:18:46.849 --> 00:18:50.009 troublemakers will not be tolerated. And very 00:18:50.009 --> 00:18:52.670 pointedly stated, masks will not be allowed. 00:18:53.029 --> 00:18:54.710 He even thanked the National Guard in that post 00:18:54.710 --> 00:18:57.910 for a job well done. But here's the really striking 00:18:57.910 --> 00:18:59.869 factual discrepancy the source points out, right? 00:19:00.130 --> 00:19:02.890 Yes. The National Guard had not yet arrived in 00:19:02.890 --> 00:19:05.329 Los Angeles when he posted that thank you message. 00:19:05.549 --> 00:19:08.230 Seriously? According to the source, yes. And 00:19:08.230 --> 00:19:10.009 they add that by the time the Guard actually 00:19:10.009 --> 00:19:12.630 did arrive on the scene later that day, the streets 00:19:12.630 --> 00:19:16.380 were reportedly already quiet. The initial unrest, 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:19.259 such as it was, had subsided. But the deployment 00:19:19.259 --> 00:19:22.099 went ahead anyway. It did. Despite those calm 00:19:22.099 --> 00:19:24.960 conditions, the source reports another 2 ,000 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.259 National Guard troops were deployed on Monday, 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:30.319 and they were followed shortly after by 700 Marines. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:33.180 This was happening even though the unrest had 00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:36.079 reportedly, quote, almost entirely subsided. 00:19:36.170 --> 00:19:38.890 And the source also highlights a lack of coordination. 00:19:39.130 --> 00:19:40.890 Yeah, they specifically mentioned that the command 00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:42.809 structure for the deployed Marines reportedly 00:19:42.809 --> 00:19:45.289 did not coordinate their actions or plans with 00:19:45.289 --> 00:19:47.329 the local Los Angeles Police Department, the 00:19:47.329 --> 00:19:50.789 LAPD. So what does the source make of that? Deploying 00:19:50.789 --> 00:19:53.029 more troops into a calm situation without local 00:19:53.029 --> 00:19:55.190 coordination? Well, the source interprets this 00:19:55.190 --> 00:19:57.930 pretty starkly. They suggest this continued deployment 00:19:57.930 --> 00:20:00.150 and the apparent lack of coordination indicates 00:20:00.150 --> 00:20:03.529 the White House really wants more tension. and 00:20:03.529 --> 00:20:06.009 more acts of resistance and more footage of armed 00:20:06.009 --> 00:20:09.470 people beating up brown protesters. That's their 00:20:09.470 --> 00:20:11.569 strong interpretation of the motivation behind 00:20:11.569 --> 00:20:15.130 the sustained and seemingly uncoordinated military 00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:19.509 presence. So with troops on the ground and tensions 00:20:19.509 --> 00:20:22.450 described as high, we naturally move to the legal 00:20:22.450 --> 00:20:24.869 arena, the battle that started playing out in 00:20:24.869 --> 00:20:27.759 court almost immediately. Right. California Attorney 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.480 General Rob Bonta, acting at Governor Newsom's 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.119 direction, filed a lawsuit seeking an emergency 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:35.279 injunction to stop the federal deployment. But 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:37.059 the source points out a significant limitation 00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:39.480 for the governor here. Once the president actually 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:41.779 federalizes the National Guard under Title 10, 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:44.599 a state governor loses command and doesn't have 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:46.880 the authority to just de -federalize them or 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.359 order them home. Ah, okay. So Newsom couldn't 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:50.799 just tell them to leave. That's why they went 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.839 to court. Exactly. Now, let's analyze the legal 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:55.900 basis the administration reportedly used for 00:20:55.900 --> 00:20:57.960 this deployment. Because it's interesting. They 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:00.380 didn't invoke the Insurrection Act. Which seems 00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:03.079 like the obvious one for domestic military deployment, 00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:05.920 based on the history we discussed. Why not use 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:07.940 it? according to the source. Well, the source 00:21:07.940 --> 00:21:10.519 speculates it's because invoking the Insurrection 00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:13.180 Act requires the president to formally assert 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:15.380 that there's an actual rebellion happening and 00:21:15.380 --> 00:21:17.339 that using the military is the only practical 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:20.079 option left. The source believes making that 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:22.960 specific claim stick in court would be unlikely, 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:25.680 even though an initial internal memo apparently 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:28.579 did mention rebellion. So a potentially weak 00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:30.839 legal argument they wanted to avoid, what did 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:34.019 they use instead? Instead, Trump, or as the source 00:21:34.019 --> 00:21:36.900 puts it, whoever is making the decisions, reportedly 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:39.420 invoked authority under Title 10 of the U .S. 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:44.099 Code, specifically Section 12406. Section 12406, 00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:46.339 what does that section allow? According to the 00:21:46.339 --> 00:21:48.259 source, this particular section talks about using 00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:51.180 the National Guard to prevent rebellion and to 00:21:51.180 --> 00:21:54.180 execute the laws. Notice the wording prevent 00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:56.759 rebellion, not necessarily respond to an existing 00:21:56.759 --> 00:21:59.369 one. Oh, okay. So the source sees a strategy 00:21:59.369 --> 00:22:02.170 there. Yes. They speculate it's maybe a little 00:22:02.170 --> 00:22:05.369 easier legally to argue that you're acting to 00:22:05.369 --> 00:22:08.210 prevent a potential rebellion or just generally 00:22:08.210 --> 00:22:11.670 execute the laws than it is to definitively prove 00:22:11.670 --> 00:22:14.769 an actual rebellion is already underway as required 00:22:14.769 --> 00:22:17.130 by the Insurrection Act. So the source thinks 00:22:17.130 --> 00:22:19.369 this choice suggests the administration knows 00:22:19.369 --> 00:22:22.609 it's on potentially shaky ground legally and 00:22:22.609 --> 00:22:24.549 is looking for the path of least resistance. 00:22:24.829 --> 00:22:27.309 That's the interpretation offered. They're arguing 00:22:27.309 --> 00:22:29.670 the admin is trying to find the easiest possible 00:22:29.670 --> 00:22:32.329 justification, even if it's a stretch. And what 00:22:32.329 --> 00:22:34.630 about A .G. Bonta's lawsuit? What's his argument? 00:22:34.809 --> 00:22:36.809 According to the source, Bonta's suit argues 00:22:36.809 --> 00:22:39.730 two main things. First, that this is a gross 00:22:39.730 --> 00:22:42.710 misapplication of the statute, that Section 12406 00:22:42.710 --> 00:22:45.210 isn't meant for this kind of situation. And second, 00:22:45.390 --> 00:22:47.230 that the administration made a critical error 00:22:47.230 --> 00:22:49.569 by completely bypassing Governor Newsom in the 00:22:49.569 --> 00:22:52.230 process, not consulting or coordinating as might 00:22:52.230 --> 00:22:55.109 usually be expected, even under Title 10 in some 00:22:55.109 --> 00:22:58.089 views. Now, what makes this court case particularly 00:22:58.089 --> 00:23:00.789 tricky, according to the source? It's the lack 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:04.150 of legal precedent or jurisprudence, as the lawyers 00:23:04.150 --> 00:23:07.700 say. The source states flatly there is Literally 00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:10.680 no jurisprudence that is directly relevant to 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:13.880 using this specific Section 12406 in this manner. 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:16.960 Meaning no previous court rulings have directly 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:19.680 tackled this specific scenario. Exactly. There's 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:21.819 no established case law for the judges to rely 00:23:21.819 --> 00:23:24.880 on to interpret how Section 12406 should apply 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:27.420 here. Did the source find any previous use of 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:29.299 this section? Just one they mentioned. Richard 00:23:29.299 --> 00:23:33.059 Nixon apparently used Section 12406 back in 1970 00:23:33.059 --> 00:23:35.460 to have the National Guard deliver mail during 00:23:35.460 --> 00:23:37.710 a postal worker's strike. Delivering mail. That 00:23:37.710 --> 00:23:39.690 doesn't sound very similar to deploying troops 00:23:39.690 --> 00:23:42.049 and Marines for unrest in L .A. Not really. No. 00:23:42.369 --> 00:23:44.930 And crucially, the source points out that Nixon 00:23:44.930 --> 00:23:47.390 era case never actually went to court to be legally 00:23:47.390 --> 00:23:49.809 tested. So it doesn't offer any guidance. So 00:23:49.809 --> 00:23:51.829 the bottom line on the legal challenge. Well, 00:23:52.130 --> 00:23:54.509 while the source clearly believes the White House's 00:23:54.509 --> 00:23:57.509 case appears weak based on their reading of the 00:23:57.509 --> 00:24:00.069 law and the lack of precedent, they conclude 00:24:00.069 --> 00:24:02.609 the ultimate outcome is genuinely uncertain. 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:06.440 It will depend entirely on how the specific judge 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:09.400 or judges hearing the case decide to interpret 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:14.180 this legally uncharted territory. Now, the source... 00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:16.680 It really doesn't pull any punches when it comes 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:18.359 to interpreting the meaning of these events. 00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:21.119 They dedicate a whole section to discussing what 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:23.839 they see as potential signs of fascism, arguing 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:25.799 that the administration's actions in California 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:28.420 exhibit characteristics they explicitly associate 00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:30.720 with such regimes. Okay, that's obviously a very 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:32.420 strong claim. The source needs to back that up. 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:34.940 How do they connect the events to these characteristics? 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:37.059 They list specific examples, right? They do. 00:24:37.299 --> 00:24:39.500 They run down a list of things they observe or 00:24:39.500 --> 00:24:42.660 anticipate. The first sign they point to is arresting 00:24:42.660 --> 00:24:44.819 innocents. What did I mean by that? The source 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:46.920 suggests it's highly likely, maybe even a smart 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:49.180 bet, that people who have committed no actual 00:24:49.180 --> 00:24:52.059 crime will get swept up, arrested, and potentially 00:24:52.059 --> 00:24:54.680 incarcerated as part of these broad operations 00:24:54.680 --> 00:24:57.019 targeting immigrants. Do they give a specific 00:24:57.019 --> 00:24:59.960 example? Yes. They mentioned David Huerta, who 00:24:59.960 --> 00:25:02.579 is the president of SEO California, a major union. 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:05.319 He was reportedly arrested while acting as a 00:25:05.319 --> 00:25:08.220 community observer during an ICE raid in LA. 00:25:08.410 --> 00:25:11.289 The source notes he was later released, but uses 00:25:11.289 --> 00:25:13.809 his arrest as an example of someone seemingly 00:25:13.809 --> 00:25:15.829 not involved in illegal activity getting caught 00:25:15.829 --> 00:25:19.670 up. OK, so using operations that sweep up innocent 00:25:19.670 --> 00:25:22.509 bystanders, what's the second sign they list? 00:25:22.690 --> 00:25:25.490 Arresting opponents. Now, the source acknowledges 00:25:25.490 --> 00:25:27.630 this hasn't happened yet, but they highlight 00:25:27.630 --> 00:25:29.970 that Trump has reportedly made multiple public 00:25:29.970 --> 00:25:32.809 threats to arrest Governor Newsom. Arrest the 00:25:32.809 --> 00:25:35.210 governor? On what grounds? Well, according to 00:25:35.210 --> 00:25:38.019 the source, Trump's alleged primary crime for 00:25:38.019 --> 00:25:40.420 Newsom is, and this is a quote attributed to 00:25:40.420 --> 00:25:42.480 Trump, simply running for governor because he's 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:44.819 done such a bad job. Running for office or doing 00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:48.380 a bad job is not usually a crime. Exactly. The 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:50.240 source points out the pretty chilling implications 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.640 if political opposition or perceived poor performance 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:55.440 becomes grounds for arrest. They also add this 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.859 interesting political analysis suggesting Newsom 00:25:57.859 --> 00:26:00.400 has been intentionally goading Trump into making 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:03.079 these threats. Why would he do that? Because 00:26:03.339 --> 00:26:06.160 the source speculates, Newsom believes being 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:08.759 targeted and threatened by Trump would make him 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:10.900 look like a martyr and actually help his own 00:26:10.900 --> 00:26:14.559 potential presidential bid in 2028. Bit of political 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:16.519 calculation there, perhaps. Interesting. OK, 00:26:16.660 --> 00:26:18.980 what other signs does the source discuss? Another 00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:21.519 one is intimidating the press. They report a 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:24.940 specific incident where an LAPD officer is alleged 00:26:24.940 --> 00:26:28.589 to have very deliberately took aim and fired 00:26:28.589 --> 00:26:31.589 a rubber bullet at an Australian news reporter 00:26:31.589 --> 00:26:34.049 who was covering the story on the ground. Wow, 00:26:34.230 --> 00:26:36.609 a direct targeting of a journalist. That's the 00:26:36.609 --> 00:26:38.230 allegation report about the source. Then there's 00:26:38.230 --> 00:26:40.670 demonizing the enemy. The source points to the 00:26:40.670 --> 00:26:43.210 prominent role DHS Secretary Kristi Noem took 00:26:43.210 --> 00:26:46.029 in justifying the actions and specifically highlights 00:26:46.029 --> 00:26:48.329 a comment she reportedly made calling Los Angeles 00:26:48.329 --> 00:26:51.849 a city of criminals. And the source adds a personal 00:26:51.849 --> 00:26:54.309 note there. Yeah, just a brief wry aside saying 00:26:54.309 --> 00:26:56.190 something like, we should know we live there. 00:26:56.509 --> 00:26:58.170 Reminding the reader the authors are based in 00:26:58.170 --> 00:27:01.950 LA. OK, what else? Gaslighting. Yes, gaslighting. 00:27:02.009 --> 00:27:05.410 which they describe as a remarkable bending of 00:27:05.410 --> 00:27:08.109 reality. The main example they use is Trump repeating 00:27:08.109 --> 00:27:11.250 the claim that protesters are just paid crisis 00:27:11.250 --> 00:27:13.829 actors. A familiar claim. Right, what the source 00:27:13.829 --> 00:27:17.089 calls a tired old right -wing chestnut. They 00:27:17.089 --> 00:27:19.589 speculate he'll probably start blaming the globalists 00:27:19.589 --> 00:27:22.589 or George Soros next. They also bring up Speaker 00:27:22.589 --> 00:27:24.869 Mike Johnson as another example of gaslighting. 00:27:24.869 --> 00:27:27.930 How so? By arguing apparently that critics are 00:27:27.930 --> 00:27:30.369 hypocrites because they supported mask mandates 00:27:30.369 --> 00:27:33.569 during the pandemic, but now dislike masks being 00:27:33.569 --> 00:27:36.049 used by federal agents arresting undocumented 00:27:36.049 --> 00:27:38.970 immigrants. The source clearly sees this as a 00:27:38.970 --> 00:27:41.130 false equivalence designed to deflect criticism. 00:27:41.990 --> 00:27:44.569 Another key sign the source identifies is hypocrisy, 00:27:44.789 --> 00:27:47.799 or as they put it, rules for thee. Not for me. 00:27:48.099 --> 00:27:50.319 Examples of that. They draw a really sharp contrast 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:52.960 between Trump villainizing what they describe 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:56.440 as the largely peaceful protesters in L .A. while 00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:58.380 at the same time pardoning people involved in 00:27:58.380 --> 00:28:01.259 the January 6th insurrection. The source explicitly 00:28:01.259 --> 00:28:03.259 asks, you know, what's the difference there? 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:05.299 That's a stark comparison. Any other examples 00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:09.140 of hypocrisy? Yes. They point directly at Kristi 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:11.869 Noem again. They quote a statement she apparently 00:28:11.869 --> 00:28:14.950 made just last year, opposing President Biden 00:28:14.950 --> 00:28:17.250 potentially federalizing the National Guard, 00:28:17.789 --> 00:28:20.690 calling that a direct attack on states' rights. 00:28:20.849 --> 00:28:23.910 But now? But now, this past weekend, she was 00:28:23.910 --> 00:28:26.910 reportedly praising Trump for doing essentially 00:28:26.910 --> 00:28:29.430 the same thing, federalizing the Guard against 00:28:29.430 --> 00:28:32.130 the state's wishes. The source presents this 00:28:32.130 --> 00:28:34.369 as a blatant contradiction, depending on who 00:28:34.369 --> 00:28:36.839 is doing the federalizing. That seems like a 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:39.240 pretty clear example of the double standard the 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:41.299 source is trying to highlight. It does. And finally, 00:28:41.420 --> 00:28:44.299 the source offers this new kind of darkly humorous 00:28:44.299 --> 00:28:47.339 but pointed sign they call the Musk test. The 00:28:47.339 --> 00:28:49.819 Musk test? What's that? Their proposed rule is 00:28:49.819 --> 00:28:52.099 basically, if Elon Musk looks at what you're 00:28:52.099 --> 00:28:54.119 doing and likes what he sees, there's a decent 00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:56.980 chance that you're a fascist. Okay. That's provocative. 00:28:57.259 --> 00:28:59.519 And they connect this to the LA events. Yes. 00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:02.480 They note that Musk... after apparently having 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:04.799 some public disagreements with the administration, 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:09.420 is now reportedly warming back up to Trump after 00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:12.900 seeing footage of the events in L .A. Presumably, 00:29:13.099 --> 00:29:15.359 the source implies, the kind of confrontational 00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:17.380 footage they suggested earlier the White House 00:29:17.380 --> 00:29:19.740 wanted to generate. So just to be absolutely 00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:21.940 clear for our listeners, this entire list, the 00:29:21.940 --> 00:29:24.019 arrests, the threats, the press intimidation, 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:27.180 demonization, gaslighting, hypocrisy. even the 00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:31.140 Musk test, this is all presented as the source's 00:29:31.140 --> 00:29:33.539 interpretation of the events. They are viewing 00:29:33.539 --> 00:29:36.079 these actions through the specific lens of potential 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:38.680 signs of fascism. That's crucial, yes. We're 00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:40.380 reporting on their analysis and the connections 00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:43.099 they draw, based entirely on the document provided. 00:29:43.319 --> 00:29:46.400 OK, so moving beyond the source's direct interpretation, 00:29:46.460 --> 00:29:48.680 they also touch on the broader political landscape. 00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:50.900 How are these events being perceived and responded 00:29:50.900 --> 00:29:53.619 to, particularly by Democrats? Right. They mentioned 00:29:53.619 --> 00:29:55.980 other media perspectives, citing an article by 00:29:55.980 --> 00:29:58.079 Julia Mueller in The Hill, for example, which 00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:00.299 apparently suggests Democrats are facing a difficult 00:30:00.299 --> 00:30:02.700 political tightrope in how they react to all 00:30:02.700 --> 00:30:05.160 this. What's the tightrope exactly? Well, a Democratic 00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:07.460 strategist is quoted in that Hill article saying 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:10.000 Trump played this brilliantly in a political 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:12.740 sense because he created a situation that seemed 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:15.940 forces Democrats into a tough spot. How so? The 00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:18.680 dilemma being, if Democrats strongly condemn 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:21.200 the actions, they risk looking like they support 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:24.140 violent demonstrators or are against law enforcement. 00:30:24.519 --> 00:30:26.940 But if they don't condemn it strongly, they risk 00:30:26.940 --> 00:30:29.920 alienating their base and looking weak on potential 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:33.039 abuses of power. Uh, the classic political wedge. 00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:36.000 But the source we're analyzing pushes back against 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.220 that framing. Come strongly. They argue this 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:41.099 isn't really about navigating some clever political 00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:43.619 tightrope. For them, it's fundamentally an issue 00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:45.940 of gross abuse of power. They connect it back 00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:48.579 to other issues. Yeah. They draw a direct comparison 00:30:48.579 --> 00:30:50.859 to the lack of due process concerns they raised 00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:53.039 in the Abrigo Garcia case we mentioned earlier. 00:30:53.299 --> 00:30:55.980 And they issued this really stark warning saying 00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:58.440 this situation is becoming dangerously close 00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:00.859 to turning the National Guard into Trump's personal 00:31:00.859 --> 00:31:03.359 brown shirts. That's extremely strong language 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:07.079 they use there. It really is. So given that perspective, 00:31:07.460 --> 00:31:09.359 what does the source suggest Democrats should 00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:12.059 do? Forget the tightrope. Pretty much. Their 00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:14.599 advice, essentially, is that Democrats shouldn't 00:31:14.599 --> 00:31:16.680 focus on the political calculations or worry 00:31:16.680 --> 00:31:18.839 about the tightrope. Instead, they should focus 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:22.019 simply on what is right and what is wrong in 00:31:22.019 --> 00:31:25.240 this situation, arguing the moral lines are clear. 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:27.660 And they bring in some polling data to back up 00:31:27.660 --> 00:31:30.460 their view that focusing on the perceived wrongness 00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:32.339 of the method might actually resonate with the 00:31:32.339 --> 00:31:35.880 public. Exactly. They cite a specific CBS YouGov 00:31:35.880 --> 00:31:38.000 poll, and it shows something interesting. A majority 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:41.160 of people, 54%, actually support the overall 00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:43.500 goal of reducing the number of undocumented people 00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:45.779 in the country. They support mass deportations 00:31:45.779 --> 00:31:49.460 in principle, versus 46 % who oppose. OK, so 00:31:49.460 --> 00:31:52.119 the end goal itself has majority support, according 00:31:52.119 --> 00:31:54.420 to that poll. But, and this is the key insight 00:31:54.420 --> 00:31:57.819 the source draws from it a huge majority, their 00:31:57.819 --> 00:32:00.240 words, opposes the way the Trump administration 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:02.420 is going about it. The poll apparently shows 00:32:02.420 --> 00:32:05.480 65 % oppose the administration's methods versus 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:08.339 only 35 % who support them. Wow, that's a massive 00:32:08.339 --> 00:32:11.339 gap, a 30 -point difference. Right, so the source 00:32:11.339 --> 00:32:13.759 argues this suggests that while people might 00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:16.119 agree with the stated objective, they strongly 00:32:16.119 --> 00:32:18.880 disapprove of the tactics being used, the heavy 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:21.380 -handed approach, the military deployment, the 00:32:21.380 --> 00:32:23.299 things that raise concerns about rights and due 00:32:23.299 --> 00:32:26.259 process. That 30 -point gap is what the source 00:32:26.259 --> 00:32:29.920 thinks Democrats should be focusing on. OK, so 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:32.460 to bring this deep dive towards a close, the 00:32:32.460 --> 00:32:35.019 source looks ahead. It discusses the potential 00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:37.640 endgame. What they worry might come next based 00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:39.799 on these events. Yeah, and they make a point 00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:41.779 of saying, you know, they try not to overreact. 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:44.119 They're generally cautious in their analysis. 00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:47.480 But these specific actions in California have 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.799 raised very serious concerns for them. What's 00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:52.460 the specific worry they articulate? The core 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:54.259 concern is that what happened in Los Angeles 00:32:54.259 --> 00:32:56.599 might not be a one -off incident. They worry 00:32:56.599 --> 00:32:58.680 it could be just the opening chapter, as they 00:32:58.680 --> 00:33:01.960 put it, in a larger move towards using military 00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:05.119 and police force much more aggressively to impose 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:07.619 the administration's agenda domestically. And 00:33:07.619 --> 00:33:09.839 the ultimate concern the source raises goes even 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:13.319 further doesn't it? It does. They express fear 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:16.480 about the potential use of what they term state 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:19.519 -sanctioned violence, specifically to change 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:22.920 the outcome of the 2026 and 2028 elections. That's 00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:25.099 a profoundly serious accusation or worry about 00:33:25.099 --> 00:33:27.119 the future. And they mention they aren't alone 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:29.140 in having these kinds of worries. Right. They 00:33:29.140 --> 00:33:31.559 briefly reference that other concerned individuals 00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:34.380 and perhaps other articles or pieces are mentioned 00:33:34.380 --> 00:33:36.579 elsewhere within the broader source material, 00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:39.200 suggesting this isn't just their isolated fear. 00:33:39.339 --> 00:33:42.460 So how do they wrap up this section? With a note 00:33:42.460 --> 00:33:45.720 of caution. Yes. They conclude by saying they 00:33:45.720 --> 00:33:48.000 sincerely hope this is just an isolated incident. 00:33:48.920 --> 00:33:51.200 But given everything they've laid out, the context, 00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:53.460 the actions, the legal maneuvers, they state 00:33:53.460 --> 00:33:56.099 very clearly that in their view, vigilance is 00:33:56.099 --> 00:33:58.690 essential right now, just in case. So there you 00:33:58.690 --> 00:34:00.950 have it. We've taken a pretty deep dive into 00:34:00.950 --> 00:34:03.150 the source material you shared with us, really 00:34:03.150 --> 00:34:06.029 trying to unpack it layer by layer based solely 00:34:06.029 --> 00:34:08.309 on what was presented in that document. Yeah, 00:34:08.309 --> 00:34:10.449 we've looked at the historical evolution of military 00:34:10.449 --> 00:34:13.030 power in the U .S., that whole complex relationship 00:34:13.030 --> 00:34:15.369 between federal and state authority that the 00:34:15.369 --> 00:34:18.429 source detailed. Right. The legal statutes reportedly 00:34:18.429 --> 00:34:21.190 involved or, as the source argues, potentially 00:34:21.190 --> 00:34:25.030 misused, like Posse Comitatus, Title 10, Section 00:34:25.030 --> 00:34:28.989 1246. Mm -hmm. And in political context, the 00:34:28.989 --> 00:34:31.329 source's strong view that this was potentially 00:34:31.329 --> 00:34:34.250 a staged event for political reasons. We covered 00:34:34.250 --> 00:34:36.710 the specific events on the ground in LA, as the 00:34:36.710 --> 00:34:39.190 source described them, that legal challenge that's 00:34:39.190 --> 00:34:41.269 now playing out in court. And of course, those 00:34:41.269 --> 00:34:44.030 very serious concerns about the potential implications 00:34:44.030 --> 00:34:46.570 raised by the source, including their analysis 00:34:46.570 --> 00:34:49.130 using that framework of potential signs of fascism, 00:34:49.269 --> 00:34:51.929 which, again, is their interpretation presented 00:34:51.929 --> 00:34:55.329 in the material. Absolutely. And hopefully, understanding 00:34:55.329 --> 00:34:57.710 these different layers, the history, the laws, 00:34:57.829 --> 00:35:00.449 the reported events, the legal arguments, and 00:35:00.449 --> 00:35:02.650 the source's own analysis and warnings helps 00:35:02.650 --> 00:35:05.280 you our listener cut through some of the noise. 00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:07.019 Yeah, it gives you a more informed perspective, 00:35:07.059 --> 00:35:10.260 hopefully, on what is undeniably a complex situation 00:35:10.260 --> 00:35:13.179 involving federal power, states' rights, constitutional 00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:16.019 interpretation, all seen, again, strictly through 00:35:16.019 --> 00:35:17.780 the lens of the material you shared with us today. 00:35:17.900 --> 00:35:19.480 It definitely gives you a lot to think about. 00:35:19.630 --> 00:35:22.309 And maybe it leaves us with this final provocative 00:35:22.309 --> 00:35:24.829 thought to mull over, something that really builds 00:35:24.829 --> 00:35:26.989 on those core themes from the source material. 00:35:27.750 --> 00:35:30.110 How does this fundamental historical tension 00:35:30.110 --> 00:35:32.510 between federal authority and state sovereignty, 00:35:32.989 --> 00:35:35.050 which we saw play out in the evolution of military 00:35:35.050 --> 00:35:38.670 law, and which the source argues is vividly illustrated 00:35:38.670 --> 00:35:41.530 by this current event in California? How does 00:35:41.530 --> 00:35:43.710 that ongoing tension ultimately shape the future 00:35:43.710 --> 00:35:46.050 landscape of American governance, and perhaps 00:35:46.050 --> 00:35:48.170 even more importantly, the rights and liberties 00:35:48.170 --> 00:35:49.530 of citizens going forward?