Why Trump’s move toward using the military on US soil is so fraught

The country hangs on a hugely significant precipice, as President Donald Trump moves toward making good on his long-running suggestions of an extraordinary step: deploying the military on US soil.

The country hangs on a hugely significant precipice, as President Donald Trump moves toward making good on his long-running suggestions of an extraordinary step: deploying the military on US soil. About 700 Marines have now been mobilized to join the National Guard in Los Angeles to deal with demonstrations over federal immigration raids, CNN reports. The Marines were previously on “ready to deploy” status. (It is still unclear what their specific task will be once in Los Angeles, sources told CNN. And like the National Guard troops, they are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity such as making arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act.) But to hear the White House tell it, this show of force is not just the right thing to do but also a political winner. Responding to a poll showing 54% of Americans approved of Trump’s deportation program, White House spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X Sunday, “And the approval number will be even higher after the national guard was sent to LA to beat back the violence this weekend.” But whether the American people actually want this military activation isn’t nearly so clear. In fact, they’ve rejected such things in the past. The administration may be making a huge gamble on the American people’s tolerance for a heavy-handed federal response.