Sherman Frederick/Properly Subversive
A three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded President Donald Trump lawfully exercised his authority in federalizing control of the California National Guard.
It’s a reminder that we have some dumb-arse politicians and judges in this country who seem less interested in the rule of law and more interested in political partisanship.
You will remember this is the case involving the L.A. riots two weeks ago.
As federal authorities began ICE enforcement on employers in L.A. — one sweatshop in the garment district that is suspected of money laundering for the Mexican cartels — crowds of Angelenos stormed an ICE facility in downtown L.A. and trapped federal officers inside.
A call for help went out to the L.A. Police Department. But hamstrung by local crazy Sanctuary City rules against helping ICE do its job, it took over two hours for L.A.’s finest to decide to respond.
Subsequently, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom refused to bring in the California National Guard, so President Donald Trump activated them.
California sued, contending that the commander in chief can’t do that, and San Francisco Federal District Court Judge Charles Breyer sided with them. He said the L.A. riots were not bad enough to call out the National Guard over the objection of Gov. Newsom, who called Trump’s move “Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops.” What, does Judge Breyer not have a streaming service to see what we all saw this first night of the L.A. insurrection? This was violent and dangerous and local officials were letting it happen.
The 9th Circuit appeals panel — consisting of three judges, two appointed by Trump and one appointed by Joe Biden — ruled unanimously Judge Breyer’s ruling was stupidly wrong.
While presidents don’t have unfettered power to seize control of a state’s guard, the panel ruled the administration had presented ample evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for doing so, citing violent acts by protesters.
“The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van’s windows. The federal government’s interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.”
Boom. And just like that, reality hit California.
The mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California were forced to see things as they were, instead of things as they wished they were. It’s a moment akin to the movie “Christmas Vacation” where Cousin Eddie advises Clark Griswold that when his dog Snots gets the urge to hump his leg, it’s best to just let him have his way and finish.
No, it’s not best to let him have his way. Tell the dog “NO” and confine him in the back yard.
The need for the National Guard was apparent for all to see during the riots. These initial gatherings were not “mostly peaceful” demonstrations; they were violent and a real form of insurrection.
It again revealed how wrong the Democrat approach to law enforcement is in America’s big cities. Condoning illegal activity — even immigration rules — doesn’t make for a peaceful society. It makes for a powder keg. And when violence erupts, holding off on restoring peace, as Mayor Bass and Gov. Newsom did during the riots, doesn’t produce less violence; it produces more.
The president got this 100% right. Even though Gov. Newsom is a favorite son of Marin, he go this all wrong.
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