Rep. Mike Levin’s Statement on President Trump Deploying Marines to Los Angeles
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) released the following statement in response to President Trump deploying Marines to Los Angeles:
“Donald Trump’s decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles is an astounding overreach of authoritarian power. The State of California has not requested the National Guard, much less the Marines, but Trump is sending them anyway. Why? Because he wants to inflame the situation and crack down further.
“I support the right to protest peacefully—it’s essential for a healthy democracy. I also strongly condemn the agitators who are committing acts of violence. Their behavior is unacceptable and they are giving Trump the images he wants.
“Our state and local authorities have the capacity to handle the protests in Los Angeles. By deploying warfighters to American cities, Trump is escalating and destabilizing a volatile situation. He is putting our service members in an untenable situation where they will be asked to repress civilians.
“Our Marines are trained for deadly combat, not law enforcement. This politicizes our Armed Forces and it clearly will not end well. If the President truly wants law and order, he must de-escalate, order our service members back to theirs bases, and allow our courageous state and local law enforcement officers to do their jobs.”
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