Is this the end of the rule of law in America?
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.1 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 15 June 2025
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
The protests in Los Angeles are just the latest series of events to raise huge questions about presidential power: in this case, whether the president can use military force to control protests.
NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge who has a stark warning: that Trump's actions signal of the end of the rule of law in America.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | When protests broke out over immigration raids in Los Angeles, President Trump was quick to send in federal troops. |
| 0:10.1 | Claiming the demonstrations were destructive, the president ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines. |
| 0:18.1 | If I didn't get involved, if we didn't bring the guard in, and we would bring more in if we needed it, |
| 0:23.1 | because we have to make sure there's going to be law and order. |
| 0:26.5 | You had a disaster happening. |
| 0:29.9 | California officials objected to the deployment of federal troops. |
| 0:33.5 | Well, it's an illegal act. |
| 0:36.0 | It's immoral. |
| 0:37.3 | It's also unconstitutional. |
| 0:39.2 | California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last Monday. |
| 0:44.1 | Well, he's showing more division, more chaos. He's inciting just the same. And more fear, more anxiety, |
| 0:53.4 | more likelihood that people are going to be hurt. |
| 0:57.1 | We're on the other side of the red line. This has little precedent in modern American history. |
| 1:02.9 | The suit accuses the administration of violating federal law and breaching the 10th Amendment |
| 1:07.4 | of the U.S. Constitution. |
| 1:09.0 | The mobilization order that was sent to the Guard has a statute that requires it shall be issued |
| 1:14.8 | through governors of the states. |
| 1:16.9 | And I want to mind people listening. |
| 1:18.7 | This impacts every state in America, not just the state of California. |
| 1:23.4 | In an initial ruling, a federal judge rejected Trump's rationale for federalizing the National Guard, |
| 1:29.2 | ordering the Guard to be returned to Newsom's control. But just hours later, at Appeals Court |
| 1:34.2 | put that order on hold. And for now, thousands of members of California's National Guard remain |
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