This Is Not What Authoritarianism Looks Like

The absurd L.A. freak-out

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A demonstrator waves a Mexican flag in front of California National Guard troops as protests against immigration sweeps continue in Los Angeles, Calif., June 9, 2025.

Daniel Cole/Reuters

President Trump’s activation of the California National Guard has launched a thousand op-eds warning of his authoritarianism.

“This Is What Autocracy Looks Like,” Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times declares.

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