Trump’s decision to send troops to LA and D.C., while completely unjustified, has resulted in theater, not practical consequences. Peaceful protesters have not been shot; local officials have not been removed from office; and the troops have only acted in a very limited capacity. Does that mean we shouldn’t be worried?
No, because the precedent has been established, the judiciary has done nothing to stop it, and the practice is becoming normalized. There is every reason to believe that Trump will expand it to other large blue state cities with even less legal justification. All it will take is one spark–one violent act of resistance to the occupation–and things will get really ugly, really fast.