Larissa Puro / Flickr
Rioters in LA were armed and ready — even stone pallets were delivered for the fight
Militant leftists from the Union del Barrio movement — a counterpart to the extremist Black Lives Matter (BLM) group known for its looting and violence in 2020 — were behind the organizational efforts. A telling detail: the street rioters coordinated their actions through the encrypted Signal messenger, just as BLM militants once did.
The uprising of largely unassimilated and, in many cases, economically unproductive illegal migrants — some 5 to 7 million brought in under Joe Biden — was triggered by the administration’s decision to deport them back to their home countries. All indications suggest that both liberal Democrats, who are turning California into a modern-day «Vendée» against Trumpian reform, and Latin American drug cartels profiting from human trafficking across the southern border are among the sponsors and coordinators of the unrest.
The attempt to suppress the migrants’ protest took the form of a direct presidential order deploying around 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the once-carefree «Golden State». The use of regular military forces on U.S. soil marked a watershed moment — the first such deployment in 60 years.
The conflict between the federal government and the constitutionally autonomous state of California has escalated to a qualitatively new level. A San Francisco court ruled that President Trump lacked the authority to deploy the National Guard to disperse the allegedly «peaceful protesters» in Los Angeles, as such action falls solely within the governor’s prerogative.
White House lawyers will surely look for a legal foothold — possibly invoking the storied «Insurrection Act». Signed by Trump in January 2021, the law authorizes the deployment of military units to quell domestic unrest and protests, granting them the right to use force, including weapons.
California, meanwhile, is led by staunch liberal Democrat Gavin Newsom, who aspires to become the Democratic Party’s frontrunner and launch a presidential bid in 2028. This comes despite his disastrous approval ratings following recent wildfires — which raged unchecked due to underfunded fire services and empty hydrants — with fewer than 7% of Democrats willing to back him in the upcoming primaries.
Nevertheless, the ambitious politician hopes to score political points in his standoff with Washington — relying less on the backing of the three million illegal migrants now fueling chaos in Los Angeles, and more on financial contributions from those who smuggled them in and supported them all along.
One cannot overlook the shifting demographics of American society. Today, one in five U.S. citizens is Latino — of Latin American origin, Spanish-speaking, and likely maintaining ties with relatives south of the Rio Grande.
Rioters waving Mexican flags serve as a reminder that this territory wasn’t exactly acquired by the United States through democratic means. Legitimate suspicions are emerging that official Mexico — under pressure from Trump’s tariff threats — is quietly backing the surge of «popular anger». In doing so, Mexico is demonstrating its ability to influence internal U.S. affairs and raising the stakes in the negotiations that inevitably lie ahead.
Another key motive behind the California Maidan is the profound ideological rift between Gavin Newsom’s camp and Donald Trump’s team. Take two examples: local Democrats, zealous about the green agenda, were outraged when the federal government blocked California’s plan to ban internal combustion engine vehicles after 2035. Additionally, the U.S. administration vetoed transgender participation in women’s sports. Yet in California, the decree holds no authority, and gender-transitioned boys continue to sweep girls’ school competitions.
As a show of force, President Trump — clearly irritated and even toying with the idea of arresting the «seditious» Governor Newsom — plans to cut off federal subsidies to defiant California. The stakes are high: the state receives $150 billion annually. With a budget deficit of $20–30 billion, this threat from Washington could be enough to cool the hot heads of the neoliberal camp. But that’s far from guaranteed.
If Trump does move to block subsidies to a state still reeling from wildfire damage and lacking the funds to modernize its crumbling infrastructure — especially its railways — the consequences could be almost biblical. The ongoing exodus of businesses and middle-class residents from the once-prosperous region would likely accelerate. But for Trump’s team, California’s decline may well be a desirable outcome.
The chaos in California was mirrored by coordinated acts of civil disobedience orchestrated by liberal Democrats nationwide, under the banner of the 50501 movement (50 protests, 50 states, one movement). Political strategists aimed to rally the public around a familiar narrative — the alleged rise of authoritarianism under Trump. The organizers made their intent clear on their official website: «No thrones. No crowns. No kings».
A protest under the slogan «No Kings» took place on June 14 in Washington, D.C., aimed at opposing the celebrations of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and Flag Day. According to Newsweek, the demonstrators also took aim at Donald Trump personally, as he happened to be celebrating his 79th birthday that day.
The California coup appears to be a trial run for sparking full-scale uprisings across all blue states in 2026, when Democrats will attempt to regain control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
For Trump, this alone makes it imperative to crush the rebellion — fueled by Democratic operatives who control local governments and law enforcement — and to end the unrest, preferably with minimal bloodshed. The riots, instigated by illegal migrants, are likely being encouraged, if not outright funded, by shadowy foundations backing his political adversaries.
Separatist sentiments haven’t yet reached a tipping point, but in theory, liberal Democrats could eventually push for the secession of the state under their control — home to 40 million people and boasting the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a GDP of $4 trillion.
This marks Trump’s first true «moment of truth» and a critical bifurcation point since his return to power. He cannot afford to show weakness amid deepening societal divisions, especially when the anti-Trump resistance is being driven not only by political opponents but also by foreign actors like the Mexican drug cartels.
It’s worth recalling American financier Ray Dalio’s forecast in his book The Changing World Order. Stage three of development is marked by peace and prosperity, but by stage five, decline sets in — defined by what he calls a «classic toxic mix» of high debt, deep social inequality, and economic shock.
Dalio believes the United States has already entered stage five: «Conflicts at the end of stage five usually reach a climax that leads to fierce fighting, often signaling the onset of civil war».
California serves as a litmus test for the 47th president’s ability to act as a «crisis manager». It will shape public confidence in his domestic reform agenda and directly affect his personal approval rating — potentially triggering defections among allies and donors if that rating takes a dramatic hit.
In a sense, this is Trump’s own Cuban Missile Crisis. According to American political mythology, the winner is the one who doesn’t blink first. If Trump backs down — as he did during previous tariff wars — he risks becoming a lame duck, something his supporters are unlikely to forgive.