Donald Trumpâs all-caps executive order on policing â âSTRENGTHENING AND UNLEASHING AMERICAâS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PURSUE CRIMINALS AND PROTECT INNOCENT CITIZENSâ â is less about policy and more about intent. And that intent is clear: To give Trump direct control over local law enforcement and further shield police from accountability.
As journalist and author of âRise of the Warrior Copâ Radley Balko puts it, âItâs a statement of intent and whether or not Trump is able to do a lot of the more pernicious and unconstitutional things he wants to do.â
The executive order calls for âmilitary and national security assetsâ to assist in local policing, directs federal resources and protections for state and local law enforcement, and enhances police protections, among other proclamations. But it reflects a deeper ambition.
âHe wants more federal militarized law enforcement under his thumb instead of under the thumb of governors or mayors,â says Balko. âHe wants to use them to help with immigration deportations. He wants help with cracking down on protest.â And the concern and fear, says Balko, is that Trump will also âuse law enforcement to go after his critics and people he perceives to be his enemies.â
This week on The Intercept Briefing, Balko joins senior reporter Akela Lacy and host Jessica Washington to break down the Trump administrationâs push to federalize local law enforcement and âunleashâ police who already face minimal meaningful restraint.
Listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
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