Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise — Including Trump’s Militarized Suppression of Protest

Last weekend, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media a harsh warning to protesters in Los Angeles demonstrating against immigration raids: “Hit a cop, you’re going to jail.” Just months earlier, President Donald Trump issued blanket pardons to more than 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 insurrection — many of whom assaulted police as they stormed the Capitol. 

The sharp contrast between Trump’s militarized response to protests against his inhumane policies and his praise of the Jan. 6 attack — an overt attempt to overthrow a free and fair election — demonstrates his characteristic comfort with authoritarianism and his self-serving responses to democratic dissent. 

The deployment of federalized military officers to Los Angeles is a textbook example of autocratic abuse of power. But it is by no means surprising: Trump has long telegraphed his willingness to use the power of the state to put down opposition and weaponize the government against his perceived enemies. His candid admiration for dictators has been long catalogued: In 1990, he praised China for its response to the Tiananmen Square protests, when the Chinese military opened fire and killed hundreds of peaceful, unarmed protesters. He has expressed admiration for authoritarian foreign leaders like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, China’s Xi Jinping, and Hungary’s Viktor Orban. And many of his anti-democratic actions that American Oversight has investigated over the years — including his extreme reaction to protests for racial justice in 2020 — further evidence his readiness to weaponize the government against his perceived enemies.

In the summer of 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police, Trump used false and misleading claims to vilify the protests and unleashed federal law enforcement against demonstrators, having also seen an opportunity to bill himself as the “law and order” president in advance of the election. On one infamous day, his administration even authorized the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters at Lafayette Square near the White House — all to clear a path for him to march to a photo op outside of a church as part of a stunt designed to serve as a symbol of strength.

That same month, Trump threatened state and local governments with deploying the military against protesters if they did not stamp out the demonstrations. The D.C. National Guard launched five low-flying helicopters over protesters who were out after curfew, a commonly used military tactic for driving away targets in combat zones. The next month, Trump deployed federal law enforcement officials to racial justice protests in Portland, Ore., ignoring local and state officials’ opposition and arguments that doing so would lead to increased unrest.

• American Oversight obtained records detailing the Trump administration’s response to the 2020 protests, including a Secret Service timeline of the violent clearing of D.C.’s Lafayette Square for the church photo op and communications about the law enforcement response in Portland.
• Other records provide details about the significant resources deployed against protesters in 2020. One document shows that the Secret Service requested a helicopter “capable of delivering airborne quick reaction force” from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operation in June, to respond to the “significant and unprecedented events occurring in the National Capital Region.”
• The records also shed light on Trump’s first-term “anti-crime” program known as Operation Legend, a political stunt aimed at bolstering his “law and order” reelection campaign during the period of heightened unrest.

But just half a year later, Trump eschewed law and order — and the rule of law in general — when a different demonstration took a violent and openly rebellious turn. Trump’s refusal to concede his 2020 election loss directly inspired the violent Jan. 6 insurrection. During the attack, Trump refused to condemn his supporters’ violent breach of the Capitol and delayed calling for an end to the riot for several hours. National Guard troops did not arrive at the Capitol for several hours, even after multiple requests from the Capitol Police and the D.C. mayor.

• See American Oversight’s detailed timeline of the Jan. 6 insurrection for minute-by-minute documentation of the Trump administration’s slow response.

Even in the aftermath of the deadly insurrection, Trump insisted on calling the rioters “peaceful” and “great people.” He has described that day as a “day of love,” called those convicted for crimes in connection to the riot “political prisoners,” and used their voices in his presidential campaign. Upon returning to office in 2025, Trump issued sweeping pardons to the roughly 1,500 people convicted of related crimes.

Now, Trump has ordered thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles, despite objections by city and state officials — a stunning abuse of power that flies in the face of Americans’ constitutional right to free speech and signals his willingness to weaponize the government to quell dissent. Turning a blind eye to the Jan. 6 attacks, Trump has claimed the L.A. protests constitute a “rebellion” to justify his use of the military, and has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act. In response, California has sued the Trump administration, calling the National Guard deployment an “unprecedented power grab.”

Of course, those who have long been concerned about Trump’s authoritarian impulses have seen this coming. From his refusal to condemn the Jan. 6 insurrection to his demonization of and violent response to those challenging his policies, his anti-democratic actions have been undertaken brazenly and openly. 

Back in April, we requested documents from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE related to the use of the U.S. military to serve the president’s mass-deportation goals. We filed suit this week against the administration for its failure to release records and launched a broad investigation into the military deployment in Los Angeles, filing nearly three dozen related records requests. Read more here.