There is no shortage of talk about how America is hurtling toward fascism at the direction of our disturbingly elected wannabe dictator, and with good reason. Donald Trump today issued an Executive Order titled “STRENGTHENING AND UNLEASHING AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PURSUE CRIMINALS AND PROTECT INNOCENT CITIZENS” that should make the cacophony of alarm bells downright deafening.
After a little introduction of “Policy and Purpose” reminding us that “Safe communities rely on the backbone and heroism of a tough and well-equipped police force” he reminds us that cops need less accountability and crime is really the fault of DEI initiatives.
When local leaders demonize law enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs that make aggressively enforcing the law impossible, crime thrives and innocent citizens and small business owners suffer. My Administration will therefore: establish best practices at the State and local level for cities to unleash high-impact local police forces; protect and defend law enforcement officers wrongly accused and abused by State or local officials; and surge resources to officers in need. My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based “equity” policies.
The result will be a law-abiding society in which tenacious law enforcement officers protect the innocent, violations of law are not tolerated, and American communities are safely enjoyed by all their citizens again.
In Section 2, “Legal Defense of Law Enforcement Officers” he explains how he’s going to use the hundreds of millions of dollars of pro bono work the cowardly law firms are giving him, namely defending cops from lawsuits resulting from just doing their duty, like beating protesters and killing suspected shoplifters.
In Section 3 “Empowering State and Local Law Enforcement” he has some things that reasonable people can get behind, like increase training and pay for law enforcement officers, but then adds some less unconcerning items like adding prison capacity and removing consent decrees.
Section 4 is the one that really caught my eye, and should be of grave concern.
Using National Security Assets for Law and Order. (a) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.
(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.
This sounds frighteningly like he is planning to put the military in coordination with, if not outright in charge of local law enforcement. You know, Martial Law.
Section 5, “Holding State and Local Officials Accountable” outlines his plan to deal with any pesky mayors, city counsel members, or other authorities who might try to stand in they way of his shock troops, and Section 6 tells us that the Homeland Security Task Forces will help implement all of the above.
I try to follow the adage “Worry about everything, panic about nothing.” The first part has been easy. The second part just got a lot harder.
