Barack Obama warned that trends toward federalizing and militarizing law enforcement risk eroding due process and civil liberties. Radley Balko warned that the president appears to be building a personal paramilitary force loyal only to him and that worst-case scenarios could include active-duty troops deployed to cities that displease the president. Trump deployed National Guard units to Washington, D.C., and suggested similar actions for other cities. Obama's remarks represented a more pointed escalation than his usual broader warnings, and he also sought to mobilize support against GOP redistricting while privately contacting lawmakers.
Former President Barack Obama pushed his concerns about dangerous trends in President Donald Trump's militarization of law enforcement and endorsed a New York Times interview with journalist Radley Balko, who warned the president is trying to build a paramilitary force loyal only to him. In a post on X Thursday, Obama pointed followers to Times columnist Ezra Klein's latest podcast, during which he speaks with Balko.
The interview, he said, was a useful overview of some of the dangerous trends we've been seeing in the federalization and militarization of police. In a further post, he warned Trump's moves should concern all Americans: The erosion of basic principles like due process and the expanding use of our military on domestic soil puts the liberties of all Americans at risk, and should concern democrats and republicans alike.
Collection
[
|
...
]