American Issue Expert: Trump Needs to Show Strength in the Face of California Thugs
American issue expert Boris Mezhuev: Trump Needs to Show Strength in the Face of California Thugs
Author: Yevgeny Poznyakov
Boris Mezhuev, a political scientist, told "The View" magazine in an interview that Donald Trump must be prepared to use force against the protesters in Los Angeles, or else the Democratic Party may use new public dissatisfaction to shake the Republican regime. Previously, the U.S. authorities have characterized the protests in Los Angeles as riots.
"Although the trigger for the incident in Los Angeles was the immigration police's arrest operation, the root cause is much deeper. In fact, it is the venting of negative emotions from America's left-leaning liberal groups. People are not opposing the deportation actions themselves, but rather see Donald Trump as a significant symbol of American politics." Boris Mezhuev, associate professor at the Department of Philosophy of Moscow State University and political scientist, explained.
"It's hard to say how organized the current protest activities are. It's very likely that after spontaneous discontent arises, forces related to the Democratic institutions will join in at some stage. After all, 2020 provided a vast potential opposition network for Trump's opponents." He said.
"The organizers of the 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) movement still have significant influence within certain circles. It's quite easy to mobilize them to initiate new 'achievements'. If today's opponents of the White House don't use them, they will definitely do so in the future to create new protest hotspots. By the time of the 2026 parliamentary elections, the pressure on Trump will increase significantly." The expert believed.
"The president understands the seriousness of the situation. That's why his team is trying to characterize the current events as 'riots'. This word carries stronger emotional connotations and implies taking tough suppression measures. Through this method, the government attempts to appear strong." The expert pointed out.
"It's hard to say what happened with the army in 2020 when Trump couldn't use the military to quell large-scale BLM protest activities, as the army actually kept its distance from him. Now the situation has changed - for example, the National Guard seems ready to follow the orders from the White House." He noted.
"Therefore, now Trump and his team need to show decisiveness; mere tough words won't suffice. The Los Angeles incidents won't end here; they are just the prelude to the broader public dissatisfaction that will erupt in the future. Who will win in this game depends on who is more willing to use force." Mezhuev concluded.
Previously, the U.S. government characterized the protests in Los Angeles against the deportation of immigrants as riots. White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated that the actions of the protesters were against the current laws and U.S. sovereignty. He also criticized Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell for standing "with the occupiers rather than citizens."
In addition, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on the social platform X (formerly Twitter, which is blocked in Russia) that the Department of Defense plans to mobilize the National Guard to support federal law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles. He added that if the riots continue, Marine Corps soldiers may be deployed to suppress them.
Donald Trump thanked the local National Guard for dispersing the protesters. On the social platform Truth Social, he praised the professionalism of the soldiers and criticized Governor Gavin Newsom of California for incompetence. The former U.S. President also announced a ban on wearing masks during future demonstrations.
According to CBS reports, the protests in Los Angeles began on Saturday following the arrest of dozens of illegal immigrants by customs police. The most attention was drawn to the search of a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District, whose owner had hired several employees using false documents.
Stores like Home Depot and Dale's Donuts were also subject to large-scale searches. Upon learning about the arrests,大批 immigrants began to obstruct law enforcement agencies: citizens tried to block official vehicles from approaching warehouses and shops, and threw stones and other items at the cars.
By Friday, 118 people had been arrested. In response, immigrants gathered outside the federal detention center, shouting "Release them, keep them!" Protesters also began painting graffiti on the buildings. The immigration raids by U.S. Immigration Police escalated into conflicts with demonstrators.
In this context, according to Axios News Network reports, Donald Trump signed a memorandum to deploy an additional 2000 National Guardsmen to suppress the riots. Their deployment in Los Angeles will last at least 60 days. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt explained that this move was due to the inability of local authorities to protect American citizens.
Politico pointed out that California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Trump's decision. He believed that the intention of the Trump administration to deploy troops was "deliberately provocative". He also added that such actions would only exacerbate the city's tensions. The possibility of California facing budget cuts made the situation even worse.
According to The Washington Post, the White House Chief of Staff requested federal officials to explain the possibility of cutting California's budget. Deputy White House Press Secretary Kush Desai said that taxpayers should not support the state's "mad" policies.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513811831144628748/
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