Welcome to The Beat. I'm Jason Johnson and for Ari Melburgh. We begin with a stunning new report about Donald Trump's authoritarian assault on American cities. The Washington Post reporting on plans from the Pentagon to create a, quote, domestic civil disturbance quick reaction force in cities facing protests or other unrest. According to the

Post, who viewed this plan. If adopted, it would require 600 troops to be ready round the

clock to deploy in as little as one hour. This, as members of the National Guard, report to Washington,

D.C. to facilitate Trump's authoritarian

takeover of our capital city. Attorney General Pam Bondi meeting today with D.C.'s mayor as she

assumes control of the D.C. police for at least the next 30 days. Meanwhile, actual residents of D.C.

who only have a single non-voting representative in Congress

have been out in the streets protesting this takeover.

The whole idea that there is some kind of a crisis of disorder in D.C. is a made-up phony story

to distract attention from a deteriorating economy, from the ice rage, which horrify even

people who wanted action on immigration, and of course from the Epstein files. I think this

administration would like to take over not only D.C., but any state or jurisdiction that doesn't completely bend the knee.

The conservative-leaning Wall Street Journal is even calling Trump's latest escalation, quote,

his boldest move to date to expand the use of military power on U.S. soil.

As the AP reports, Trump's targeting of D.C. and his rhetoric around it echoes a long and ugly history of racism towards majority black cities in America.

Lawmakers and experts are sounding the alarm about both the authoritarianism and the racial undertones of Trump's latest actions.

He's doing the dictator playbook, again, just like he did in L.A.

He does this with black men.

Yes.

Whether it's Baltimore, L.A., New York.

It is the reincarnation of George Wallace, of Huey Long, of the disgusting policies of the past.

He really enjoys using U.S. military force against American civilians on American soil and wants

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