TRUMP CREATING CHAOS

Chaos is complete disorder and confusion. Trump organized and deployed untrained, camouflage dressed and unnamed armed hodge-podge of officers. These were from various law enforcement departments and were sent to Portland under director of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, with orders to protect federal property. The officers confronted and engaged the peaceful demonstrators with force and tear gas and stun grenades, and rubber bullets. 

Chad Wolf, the current acting head of the Homeland Security department, has not been confirmed and comes from a lobbying firm. He has no prior qualifications for the position (i.e. law enforcement or military experience, whatsoever) and has been seen as not confirmable by the Senate.

The troops marched on a group of mothers in locked arms that were protecting the peaceful demonstrators. The troops advanced and used the tear gas and the stun grenades.  They were blocks away from any federal building and without cause detained individuals and swept them away in an unmarked rental van. The troops provoked the Portland demonstrators and at times were seen as initiating the violence.

The question is this; Is Trump intentionally creating conflict to show he is tough on crime by using these officers as props? Were they sent to Portland to clash with protesters? Are his actions a substitute for the phony caravans used in the last election?  Are these actions another “look over here” laser light show, just to beat his chest and hope you ignore the elephant in the room – the virus? Is this Trump’s law and order election campaign launch? Everything from now through November should be seen through the lens of election madness.

The Portland mayor that was tear gassed by the storm troopers is asking the court to “declare it not acceptable for federal officers to use unconstitutional, police state-type acts to detain citizens of Oregon without cause.”

Oregon Senator Ron Widen said on the Senate floor, “Donald Trump did not send that para-military force the expeditionary force to keep people safe. Donald Trump is doing this  to create an image of chaos. To air them on far right television scare the country and turn them into campaign ads.” This is right out of the Nixon playbook. That was called a police riot in Chicago, when the police blamed the people for the riot they created. 

Chad Wolf also stated in a news conference on July 22^nd that he is going to deploy federal troops to Chicago. The mission there is to protect the public from violent crime on the streets and protect federal property. Trump has threatened other democratic cities he says are all rife with crime in the streets and that he is there to protect everyone. Thanks a lot.

Now, Wolf is sending 200 troops to Chicago. There are 12,000 policemen in Chicago.  What will 200 officers do if they are there full time when only 100 or so officers would be deployed at a time?  So what will they do when they confront demonstrators with only 100 officers? Are they there to execute this mission or to create another chaotic and violent confrontation?  If there is violence, will Trump send in the National Guard? The only thing 200 officers can do is start something, not stop something.

First look at the policy. The secret unmarked agents acting like thugs and forcing confrontation in lieu of dialog, is a lesson in impatience, cowardice and lack of principle. Trump is acting like a dictator in a banana republic. He truly garners the disrespect of the demonstrators when federal police resort to the tactics of thugs. These are dark days when you see beating and tear gassing peaceful protesters in America by Americans that are supposedly there to protect. Trump can’t win on the up and up so he is resorting to the fear tactic.

Trump has betrayed the public and has rebelled against our legal boundaries and principles of our forefathers. We do not have and should never have a national police force.  The Constitution does not allow for any such construct of a federal domestic police force.  Any such police force would require congressional approval. 

The Justice Department did not exist until 1870. All policing power up until that that time was bestowed on the states and was formed to resolve issues among states.

Even if approved by congress, the Supreme Court has on more than one occasion, ruled that police power resides within the states.  One ruling was handed down by Justice Rehnquist, in a decision in 2000 he ruled that the essence of the police power is a state function. This ruling was based on founding principle established by Justice Brandeis early in the 1900s.

Are Trump’s actions a legal betrayal of the Constitution having a federal police force?  The Constitution does not allow such without congressional approval. Congress has allowed for the forces within homeland security, in the form of immigration officers, that enforce immigration laws, and Secret Service employees that protect the President and members of Congress, and the parks police and other agencies that Trump cobbled together to do his deeds.  None of which are trained in riot control or de-escalation of situations. This is legal perhaps because all of the above had the approval of congress, however ethical? Domestic policing powers are not enumerated by the Constitution specifically and thus these powers rest with the states.

This current federal police force was formed with no confirmed head of the department and is taking orders from Attorney General Barr. There is no law that allows federal officials to beat citizens in peaceful protest. The rationale Trump is using keeps shifting from protecting federal property to fighting to protect citizens from violent crime. What’s next? Protecting against voting fraud?

In normal times, states would request assistance from the Feds, who in turn would work closely in coordination with state and local authorities, who would take the lead. This is a blatant disregard for the wishes of the state and local authorities. The actions in Portland and in Chicago are going on without such requests and are then thought to be illegal except for the protection of federal property.

Trump’s actions are only for a show of strength, to portray him as being tough on crime. Trump is doing this by creating the chaos and disorder, which has led to the violence he created. All his actions are for the photos ops to enhance his big campaign show. Trump’s actions are also meant to create internal fear, the basis moving forward in this election year, in lieu of the fear of the foreign caravans in the last election cycle.

Are his actions in violation of the protesters 1^st amendment freedom of speech rights?  Are the actions circumventing the separation of powers in the 10^th amendment? Is the police action in violation of the Supreme Court decision in 2000? 

The one takeaway from the actions thus far is a bad look for the federal troops, when the protesters are peaceful and protesting exactly what these secretive service officers are doing, the unnecessary force on peaceful individuals.