President Donald Trump’s administration is opening the door to an unprecedented domestic military response, with officials warning that more National Guard deployments could be on the horizon as immigration-related protests spread beyond Los Angeles.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified to Congress that the Pentagon stands ready to mobilize troops “if there are other riots,” and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down on the threat. Her message to protesters: challenge this president’s mass deportation agenda, and expect a military response.
The shift in tone comes as Trump amps up martial rhetoric, embracing military power both symbolically and literally. At Fort Bragg this week, the president praised the crushing force of American soldiers while previewing a dramatic military parade in D.C. to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary. Tanks, helicopters, and elite demonstrations will be on full display, just as protesters plan nationwide “No Kings Day” demonstrations against what they call executive overreach.
Trump has hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow broader use of military force domestically—a move not seen in decades. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the deployment of Guard troops without his approval, calling it a warning shot against democracy itself. “This moment we feared has arrived,” Newsom said.
Critics say Trump isn’t drawing lines between peaceful protesters and violent actors. Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky warns this blurs the boundaries of democracy: “In free societies, protest is a right. In authoritarian regimes, it’s a risk.”
Polls show Americans are divided. Republicans support the troop deployments. Democrats and independents largely don’t. Yet Trump, with fewer constraints in his second term and surrounded by loyalists, appears poised to use executive power more aggressively than ever, escalating a standoff that could reshape the nation’s civil-military boundaries.
