By Yiannis Damellos
President Donald Trump is at war with Americans—not just Democrats, but also his own supporters. This should be taken into consideration as the Midterms approach. Recently, he threatened to deploy the military to Baltimore, Maryland, to address crime, escalating his controversial use of National Guard deployments across the country. Moreover, he blackmailed the state by threatening to withhold federal funding for the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a project that had already been approved for federal funding. This project is meant to benefit the people, including his own supporters. This situation demonstrates one thing: President Trump does not care about anyone—whether they are blue or red. He is solely focused on establishing a military junta by politicizing the National Guard for his ideological purposes, aiming to create an authoritarian regime in the U.S. He will ultimately fail and face consequences.
Trump's threats and blackmail were made on Truth Social and specifically targeted Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, echoing similar actions against California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Trump's rhetoric is blissfully ignorant and driven by a fascist agenda
In his post, Trump stated he would send in "troops" to "quickly clean up the crime" in Baltimore, drawing a parallel to the recent National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., which has faced heavy criticism as a political overreach. Governor Moore promptly criticized Trump's approach as tone-deaf and disconnected from the realities in Baltimore. He emphasized the need for collaboration and local support rather than Trump's "blissful ignorance, tropes, and outdated scare tactics." Moore highlighted the administration's failure to engage with local communities that are working to combat crime.
The politicization of the military is reminiscent of Third World juntas
This incident follows a pattern of Trump's earlier deployments of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June during immigration protests and to Washington, D.C., this month, despite a decrease in violent crime in the capital. Newsom strongly opposed the Los Angeles deployment, accusing Trump of creating chaos to justify increased crackdowns. Similarly, Moore has accused Trump of using the military as a political tool, asserting he would not authorize the deployment of Maryland National Guard forces for non-critical missions.
Trump just blackmailed all Marylanders
Trump's threats extend beyond military deployment. He also threatened to withhold federal funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement project. Governor Moore condemned this threat, warning it could cause significant damage to both the national economy and the state of Maryland. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, both Democrats from Maryland, joined in criticizing Trump's actions, calling them alarming and illegal. Representative Johnny Olszewski echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for collaboration to sustain Baltimore's progress in crime reduction.
Broad Condemnation
The president's actions have been met with broad condemnation from Democratic officials. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of manufacturing a crisis and politicizing the military. Despite this backlash, Trump has shown no signs of backing down, suggesting Chicago and New York as potential targets for future National Guard deployments.
This escalating situation highlights a deep partisan divide and raises serious concerns about the appropriate use of the National Guard and the potential for federal overreach. The significant decrease in homicides and non-fatal shootings in Baltimore this year, as reported by Mayor Brandon Scott, further underscores the controversy surrounding Trump's actions.
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