Protests swell while federal authority tightens.
CORRECTED - This week's federal update will be brief because I was on the road all week. But the update really comes down to two issues: protest and federal response.
Thousands of people marched in "No Kings" protests in cities across the United States Saturday to oppose Donald Trump's actions since taking office on January 20, 2025. I am entirely in support of those protests and have repeatedly written that people power is the only way to reverse this country's dangerous new course. [An earlier version of this post speculated about whether the Minnesota shooter was a supporter of the nationwide protests because "No Kings" flyers were found in his vehicle. That speculation appears to be mistaken. The article I linked to above suggests that anti-abortion sentiment may have played some role, but I am not going to engage in further speculation.]
President Trump's federalization of the California National Guard and orders sending Marines to Los Angeles because of protests there is a menacing step toward authoritarianism. California Governor Gavin Newsome challenged those acts in federal court, and this Thursday afternoon agreed with the Governor, ordering that control of the National Guard be promptly returned to the governor. A panel of three judges from the relevant appellate court (the Ninth Circuit) granted a temporary stay of Judge Breyer's order Thursday evening, pending a hearing this coming Tuesday.
The three judges who granted the stay included two Trump appointees and one Biden appointee. The stay was issued without dissent. Appellate judges may dissent from such stays, as a recent order from the same appellate court shows. Judges are supposed to act without partisanship, so we cannot draw any conclusions from the stay.
But I know what you're thinking, so I will take this a step further. The entire Ninth Circuit includes 16 judges appointed by Democrats and 13 appointed by Republicans. The Ninth Circuit has long been viewed as "liberal," although that leaning has lessened as a result of numerous Trump appointees during his first term.
No doubt, the case will ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court, which includes six members appointed by Republicans and three appointed by Democrats. As I have mentioned many times in these updates, I don't like that Court's track record relating to the power of Donald Trump.