Trump is trying to create a crisis in Los Angeles that will help him achieve his goal. And that is: an authoritarian presidential regime, says American history professor Manfred Berg.
"It is clearly an attempt by Trump to create a crisis in which he can expand his powers in emergency situations and as commander-in-chief of the military," says American history professor Manfred Berg. According to the expert, the protests and tensions in California in recent days cannot be considered an uprising at all, especially since both the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of the state have repeatedly emphasized that the situation is under control.
"Trump is striving for an authoritarian presidential regime"
The professor at Heidelberg University recalls that the National Guard has been sent to individual states before. In most cases, however, this was done at the behest of local authorities. Still, presidents have bypassed governors. The last time was during the notorious marches for African-American rights from the city of Selma to the city of Montgomery in Alabama in 1965, as the "New York Times" recently reported. However, then Lyndon Johnson sent the National Guard to protect the demonstrators led by Martin Luther King. Johnson did not take into account Governor George Wallace, who was one of the notorious supporters of segregation at the time.
Now Manfred Berg sees a serious difference - there are no indications that the authorities in California do not respect the law and the laws. Trump's goals are different and have nothing to do with maintaining order and ensuring security, he believes. "Trump is striving for an authoritarian presidential regime", says the professor. "Even during his first term, but also before the 2024 elections, he did not hide that he would like to rule as an elected dictator. And he is trying to do it." According to Berg, the activation of the National Guard in this case is a sign of precisely this - Trump is quite deliberately applying drastic measures to inflame this crisis and legitimize his actions. Because in the American system it is clearly defined that individual states are responsible for their own security. Only if they fail can the federal government step in.
"The governor of California categorically denies this and, in my opinion, rightly sees the danger of undermining the democratic and federal system of the United States," Berg added. "Trump wants chaos and incites violence," Newsom wrote. According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, "democracy is under threat", and the president's actions are reminiscent of those in "authoritarian regimes".
The Republican Party is loyal to Trump
At the same time, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, requested the National Guard to provide security during planned protests against the administration's immigration policies this weekend. "This shows how divided the United States is and how loyal the Republican Party is to Trump. "I would bet that a Republican governor of Texas - except perhaps in natural disasters - would never do that if the president was still called Joe Biden," commented Manfred Berg in this regard.
And while it is clear to the German expert that Trump's supporters will support his moves, the effects of his decisions call into question the foundations of American democracy. "The American president, for all his problematic power, is not a dictator. He is bound by the law and the constitution. But Trump has repeatedly questioned this," Berg commented. "The presidential decrees with which he governs must be compatible with the constitution and federal laws. This is ultimately decided by the courts and, in the last instance, the Supreme Court. However, there is a clear majority of 6:3 conservative judges there, who have not yet decisively opposed him. And he is probably counting on this friendly majority."
Newsom as a presidential candidate in 2028?
For Gavin Newsom, the crisis also presents opportunities, observers say. He has long made no secret of his ambitions for higher political positions, and this is his last term as governor of California. "Newsom now has a certain opportunity to distinguish himself as a leader in the fight against Trump. But there is also a great risk that a possible escalation of violence could be attributed to the Democrats," the German historian told ARD. "Trump will certainly blame them for inciting these riots. The US is in a very difficult situation. And it is obvious: Congress is saying nothing and doing nothing."
The inability of Congress to react to such situations also clearly shows the extent to which power has been concentrated in the White House, Berg also says. "Congress is often blocked. In this sense, it is completely understandable that many Americans say: "We need a strong national leader who will finally untie this knot and break the rules to overcome this blockade". This is certainly one of the reasons why many people voted for Trump."
According to Manfred Berg, the behavior of the Republicans at the moment is paradoxical. For years they have been pushing for more autonomy for the individual states, and now with his intervention Trump is doing exactly the opposite. "Trump is not a classic conservative. But he entered the White House under the banner of conservatism and with the votes of American conservatives, and now he is doing many of the things that conservatives have been warning against for decades," the historian summarizes.