National Guard in the Streets: Trump Accelerates the Deconstruction of the American Imperium

Kokcha News Agency – In a controversial move, President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles, citing the need to combat crime. However, with crime rates actually decreasing across the U.S. since the pandemic, critics argue that this decision is more about political posturing than addressing any real security threat.

Dr. Adam McConnel, an American scholar, argues that Trump’s actions are part of a broader trend of centralizing power and dismantling federal institutions, a process that has been accelerating since Trump’s second term began.

The Decline of American Institutions
McConnel highlights that the U.S. has been experiencing a slow decline in its global leadership since the Eisenhower administration. The “Reagan Revolution” of the 1980s marked the end of wealth redistribution policies, and U.S. elections have since become contests of money and image manipulation.

During Trump’s first presidency, the U.S. saw increased cronyism and nepotism, but the political system managed to survive. However, in his second term, Trump has taken more aggressive steps to dismantle federal institutions, including the Education Department, the State Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Unitary Executive
Trump’s actions are part of a broader strategy to implement the “unitary executive” theory, which envisions the president as having nearly unlimited powers. This has led to the politicization of key institutions like the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Federal Reserve Board.

McConnel notes that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles, as well as the FBI to Washington, D.C., is less about fighting crime and more about appealing to his voter base. With crime rates declining, these moves are seen as symbolic gestures to rally support rather than genuine attempts to address public safety.

The Future of American Democracy
The question remains whether the American public will push back against Trump’s centralization of power in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Polls indicate that Trump’s public support has declined, but his strategy of inciting public uproar and targeting Democratic strongholds may still resonate with his base.

McConnel warns that if Trump continues to dismantle federal institutions and centralize power, the U.S. could face a future where one-man rule replaces the current system of checks and balances. Drawing parallels to historical examples like Augustus Caesar and Cosimo de’ Medici, McConnel suggests that the U.S. may be on a similar path, where democratic mechanisms are gradually eroded in favor of centralized authority.