Trump's Desire to "Dominate the Streets" Will Only Make Things Worse

I have made no secret of the fact that I am deeply appalled and troubled by the George Floyd protests both for the disregard of social distancing during a pandemic and violence which has resulted in suspension of COVID-19 testing in Los Angeles. Earlier today I questioned the wisdom of burning a 200-year old church in Washington, D.C.

Yet I am equally appalled and troubled by President Trump's response. I am appalled and troubled by it because it is the only card he has to play in a country ravaged by a pandemic that has claimed more than 100,000 lives, infected nearly 2 million people and thrown more than 40 million people out of work. Yet this could easily become his Trump card. Consider what I wrote three nights ago:

The riots in Minneapolis and elsewhere help Donald Trump because he thrives on fear and anyone who praises the burning the of the 3rd precinct is handing him ammunition that he will be more than happy to use because he knows there are enough voters who will answer his call to arms.

Well, just about two hours ago, Trump issued his call to arms in the Rose Garden and it does not inspire my confidence:

America needs creation not destruction, cooperation not contempt, security not anarchy, healing not hatred, justice not chaos. This is our and we will succeed 100% we will succeed. Our country always wins. That is why I am taking immediate presidential action to stop the violence and restore security and safety in America. I am mobilizing all available, federal resources, civilian and military, to stop the rioting and looting to end the destruction and arson and to protect the rights of law abiding Americans, including your second amendment rights. Therefore, the following measures are going into effect immediately. First, we are ending the riots and lawlessness that has spread throughout our country. We will end it now. Today I have strongly recommended to every governor to deploy the national guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets, mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled.

If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.

This is a remix of "I alone can fix." But when the President of the United States calls upon the National Guard to "dominate the streets" it is something which can only be done by fear and intimidation. When the President in question boasts of taking hydroxychloroquine and casually accuses people of committing murder that message takes on an added danger and volatility.

Because as it stands now, journalists are being arbitrarily arrested and detained simply for doing their jobs and police are shooting civilians on their porches with paint balls. Last night, David McAtee, an African-American restaurateur in Louisville who served the police free food was shot and killed by those very police who claimed they were returning fire even though he was unarmed. Trump's policy of dominating the streets guarantees these incidents will escalate and result in further loss of life. 

Of course there is the small matter of the constitutionality of Trump's order. While he could exercise the Insurrection Act of 1807 (last exercised by Bush 41 during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992) he cannot do so with active U.S. military troops. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 expressly forbids the use of federal troops to enforce domestic law.

Now if the courts constrain Trump but the unrest continues then it will give him ample opportunity to engage in further demagoguery by claiming he is standing alone against the courts, state governors and the news media and tie them to Antifa. This is why Trump was elected in 2016. Even if Trump overstepped his bounds and some independents might agree that he has if the political violence on the part of protesters persists then they become the election issue rather than Trump's conduct in office. Combine the level of support Trump retains in the electorate plus a portion of independents more anxious about controlling political violence than constraining Trump's excesses then it might be enough to keep him in the White House. 

There will be a segment of the population that absolutely loves what Trump said tonight. But given everything that has happened in this country with COVID-19 in 2020 nothing he said tonight offered any sense of calm and reassurance. President Trump seeks to impose domination as a rallying cry to his supporters instead of restoring peace for us all.