How conservatives learned to love the police state

Led by Donald Trump, Republican leaders—including members of Congress and several governors—have in recent weeks endorsed armed occupations of American cities.

The most prominent display of this attitude can be seen in Washington, D.C., where Trump has deployed federal law enforcement along with the National Guard to combat a nonexistent crime wave. For a few weeks now Americans have watched as federal agents have been tasked with handling moped accidents, drunk men throwing sandwiches, and trash cleanup duty.

The action in Washington follows the deployment of federal assets in Los Angeles, which is led by Mayor Karen Bass, a Black woman. Other cities have been threatened with occupation by Trump including Chicago, Baltimore, and most recently New Orleans. All of the cities vote Democrat