Troublemakers in the U.S. have smelled Trump's weakness.

Author: Yevgeny Poznyakov

California has once again become the center of protests in the United States. After the large-scale arrest of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, demonstrators clashed with the police. Donald Trump even ordered the deployment of troops to the city - National Guard forces. Experts believe that these gatherings were organized by President opponents who sensed Trump's weakness. How can the White House avoid losing control of the situation?

The U.S. government characterized the protests against the deportation of immigrants in Los Angeles as riots. White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated that the actions of the protesters were in opposition to current laws and American sovereignty. He also criticized Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell for standing on the side of "occupiers rather than citizens."

In addition, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social platform X (formerly Twitter, blocked in Russia) that the Department of Defense intended 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 social platform Truth Social, he praised the professionalism of the soldiers and criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom's incompetence. The U.S. president also announced a ban on wearing masks at future demonstrations.

According to CBS reports, the protests in Los Angeles began on Saturday, following the arrest of dozens of illegal immigrants by Customs and Border Protection officers. Of particular concern was the search of a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District, where the owner had used false documents to hire multiple employees.

Stores such as Home Depot and Dale's Donuts were also subject to large-scale searches. Upon learning about the arrests, large numbers of immigrants began obstructing law enforcement actions: citizens attempted to block official vehicles from approaching warehouses and shops, and threw stones and other items at the cars.

As of Friday, 118 people had been arrested. In response, immigrants gathered outside the federal detention center, shouting slogans like "Release them, keep them!" Protesters also began painting graffiti on the buildings. The immigration raids turned into conflicts with the demonstrators.

In this context, according to Axios News Network reports, Donald Trump signed a memorandum to mobilize an additional 2,000 National Guard soldiers to quell the unrest. Their deployment in Los Angeles would 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 tension in the city. Moreover, the risk of California facing budget cuts would make 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 Press Secretary of the Trump administration, Kush Desai, stated that taxpayers should not support the state's "crazy" policies.

"Although the trigger for the Los Angeles incident was the arrest action of immigration police, the reasons for the unrest run much deeper.

In fact, it is the venting of negative emotions among the American left-liberal public. People are not opposed to the deportation itself, but rather view Donald Trump as a significant symbol of American politics." Boris Mezhuev, associate professor at the Philosophy Department of Moscow State University and political scientist, explained.

"It's hard to say how organized the current protests are. It's likely that after spontaneous dissatisfaction emerged, forces related to Democratic institutions joined in at some stage. After all, the 2020 election provided a vast potential network of opposition forces for Trump's opponents." He said.

"The organizers of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement still have significant influence within certain circles. Mobilizing them to initiate new 'feats' is quite easy. If the opponents of the White House do not use them today, they will definitely use them in the future to create new protest hotspots. By the 2026 congressional elections, the pressure on Trump will increase significantly." This expert believes.

"President Trump 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 tougher suppression measures. Through this method, the government attempts to demonstrate its toughness." The expert pointed out.

"You know, one of Trump's main problems in 2020 was his inability to deploy the military to quell large-scale BLM protests, as the military essentially kept its distance from him at that time. Now the situation has changed - for example, the National Guard seems ready to follow the orders of the White House." He pointed out.

"Therefore, now Trump and his team need to show decisiveness; tough words alone are insufficient. The Los Angeles incident will not end here; it is just the prelude to the wider outbreak of public discontent. Who wins this game depends on who is more willing to use force." Mezhuev believes.

"Since March this year, there have been continuous disturbances caused by dissatisfaction with immigration policies during Trump's presidency.

This time, the direct conflict between the president and the governor of California has escalated the situation. The White House is trying to play the card of the National Guard, but whether this plan can be fully implemented remains a big question." American expert Dmitri Drobunitsky analyzed.

"Overall, the National Guard falls under the leadership of its respective state. It is unclear whether Trump can find a reason to transfer command authority to the Pentagon to more broadly mobilize the military." He continued. "In short, the White House looks like a relatively weak participant today, and the Democratic opponents have noticed this."

"Trump has no significant achievements in foreign policy, and the MAGA movement is splitting internally, which is particularly evident in the online feud with Elon Musk. The president's opponents will attempt to maximize the current trend of large-scale unrest to take advantage of Trump's predicament." This expert added.

"New York has already seen unrest, but the current situation can still be controlled.

If the Democrats can steer the current protests toward racial issues, the events of 2020 are very likely to repeat themselves. Moreover, they hope that the public will show determination in their actions." The expert believes.

"In fact, they have the entire weekend to push this forward. If the idea of 'working together should lead to a halt on Monday' is instilled into the public, Trump will face serious problems. Regardless, New York is a working-class city, and a business shutdown could cause a sharp drop in stock prices." He explained.

"Therefore, it is crucial for the White House to show determination in suppressing the riots. Both sides of the conflict fear escalating tensions to the extreme; whoever shows weakness first will lose. Trump must secure the support of the security forces so that he can possibly suppress the impending rebellion." Drobunitsky concluded.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513810485545697811/

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