National & Minnesota Report
Every member of the United States Military swears a solemn oath:
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me…”
This oath is a binding commitment—not to a man, a political party, or a fleeting ideology—but to the Constitution and the enduring principles of the American Republic.
Yet today, Donald J. Trump, as President but still operating under the self-assumed mantle of Commander in Chief, continues to defy and desecrate that oath—not only his own, but the sacred promises made by the men and women in uniform. His repeated efforts to manipulate and militarize the armed forces for personal and political ends are not theoretical—they are historical fact and ongoing threat.
His infamous order in 2020 to forcibly clear peaceful protestors from Lafayette Square using military force marked a defining moment of domestic abuse of power. This was not an isolated event. Recent disclosures reveal renewed efforts by Trump and his allies to politicize the Department of Defense, and more alarmingly, they now lay the groundwork for invoking the Insurrection Act as a tool of suppression in any future administration. These are not projections—they are published strategies, confirmed by his inner circle and campaign planners.
Such conduct, past and present, defines Trump as a domestic enemy to the Constitution.
In a functioning constitutional democracy, these actions would have long since triggered irrevocable consequences. Twice, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives, including for his role in inciting the January 6th insurrection. Twice, the Senate failed to convict him—a historic failure of institutional courage and a betrayal of constitutional stewardship.
Now, again as Commander in Chief, Trump wages an escalated war—not merely against political opponents, but against the very system of checks and balances that undergirds American democracy. His language is not metaphorical; it is militarized. His plans are not hidden; they are published. He calls openly for retribution, threatens and implements, mass deportations, vows to purge the civil service, and all this after having declared his intention to “be a dictator on day one.”
This is not politics—it is the operational architecture of authoritarianism.
In Los Angeles and other American cities, we are already witnessing the consequences. Local governments face increasing pressure, communities live under threat, and legal norms are tested daily. The precedent is being set: dissent equals disloyalty; pluralism equals weakness; civilian control equals obstruction.
The Supreme Court, particularly in its recent reluctance to definitively limit executive power, has created dangerous ambiguity—space in which autocracy can take root. Meanwhile, military leadership, bound by a culture of deference, risks becoming either unwilling accomplice or silent bystander if it fails to resist illegal orders and unconstitutional mandates.
This is no longer a hypothetical crisis. It is a constitutional emergency unfolding in real time.
The targets are many—immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, urban voters, journalists, civil servants, elected officials, and any local or state government that resists subjugation. What Trump seeks is not law and order, but dominance and submission.
All branches of government—and every individual sworn to uphold the Constitution—must act with clarity and resolve. The oath to defend the Republic does not expire when challenged. It is not conditional. It is absolute.
This is not just another election cycle. This is the slow motion unraveling of democracy by design.