The White House just bluntly confirmed Donald Trump is using the military against his enemies

The White House has now plainly confirmed what many have suspected: President Donald Trump is using the military against his political enemies in the United States. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, on the record and out loud, that the president would “love to do this in every Democrat-run city across the country.” This declaration came during a press briefing where Leavitt was asked about high crime rates in states led by Republicans.

Basically, ignore every republican city with real problems and focus on Democrats, ie, Trump’s enemies. Per MSNBC, the White House believes, “[T]hese are the bad guys that we are picking up in Washington, D.C., every day.” This statement from the White House comes just a month after Trump militarized Washington, D.C. Since then, the administration has pointed to Chicago and Baltimore as potential future targets for similar troop deployments.

Trump has also publicly mentioned New York, San Francisco, and even Portland, Oregon. By some measures, it’s a mistake to even speculate which city might be next because, from the White House’s perspective, it appears every city with Democratic leadership is on the list. This is a pretty striking vision to present, as if it’s completely normal for a president to deploy armed troops into cities run by the opposing political party.

The United States is looking like North Korea and China, as Trump uses the military against his political enemies

The D.C. deployment was initially set for 30 days, as federal law requires congressional approval for anything longer. However, it doesn’t look like things are changing much, as Mayor Muriel Bowser has signed an executive order for city police to assist federal efforts indefinitely. Trump is also expected to continue deploying the National Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts, neither of which needs congressional approval.

So, even if the 30-day window is closing, the collaboration between the administration and law enforcement in D.C. is likely to continue. This could lead to a really uncomfortable back-and-forth situation where city leaders are stuck in the middle. This kind of action is also a bit of a departure from the norm. Traditionally, the deployment of the National Guard in a state requires the request or consent of the state’s governor. However, some Democratic governors and mayors have pushed back, stating that their cities do not need or want a “military occupation.”

Meanwhile, some Republican leaders, like Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, have welcomed the idea. Trump, for his part, has said he has the “right” to send the National Guard into cities, even over the objections of state governors, and that he can do so if he thinks the country is in danger. Since the National Guard is armed, it is like the United States is being treated as a war zone.

This whole situation brings up some pretty serious questions about the use of military forces in domestic policy. Legal experts have raised concerns that these actions could set a precedent for creating a “national police force with the President as its chief.” It’s a significant escalation that many feel has no precedent in American history. The president himself told reporters that he would announce “another city that we’re going to very shortly. We’ll announce it probably tomorrow.” It seems like this is only the beginning.