THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent Trump’s Angry, Crazed Rants to Media Unnerve Legal Experts: “Very Bad”
Sep 3, 2025
Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor, dives into Trump’s erratic reactions following a federal judge's ruling against his military presence in Los Angeles. She dissects his unsettling threats to deploy troops in other cities and the potential legal ramifications. McQuade emphasizes the explosive atmosphere brewing in U.S. governance and warns of a significant confrontation between military and judicial powers. She argues that Trump's incendiary remarks undermine the rule of law, hinting at a dangerous precedent for law enforcement.
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Court: Military Performed Police Tasks
- Judge Breyer found the troop deployment in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act by performing law-enforcement functions.
- The order pauses until Sept 12 to allow appeal, reflecting judicial restraint and separation of powers.
Court Lists Specific Police-Like Actions
- The court documented specific actions: perimeters, traffic blockades, crowd control, shields, batons, and helmets.
- McQuade argues those activities mirror typical police work and therefore constituted illegal law-enforcement.
Trump's Public Threats Risk Confrontation
- After the ruling, Trump publicly threatened to redeploy troops to California and said he'd send them to Chicago.
- His statements mix legal defiance with political posturing, raising risks of an executive-judicial clash.