Vance (The Good One) And VoteVets October 7, 2025 The cop-bludgeoning rioters who stormed the Capitol and aimed to hang Mike Pence have all been pardoned, their prosecutors fired. Shoplifters in Portland, by contrast, pose a grave national threat. Welcome to Trump’s America. Joyce Vance yesterday: This afternoon, Donald Trump was asked about invoking the Insurrection Act: “I’d do it if it was necessary. … If I had to enact it, I’d do that. If people were being killed and courts were holding us up, or governors, or mayors were holding us up. Sure, I’d do that.” It’s hard to mistake what’s happening here. This is a president in the process of looking for excuses and seeing how far he can go until someone—right now it’s the courts—reins him in. The Insurrection Act is the primary vehicle for circumventing Posse Comitatus, which prohibits the use of the military on American soil to enforce laws against American citizens. That is not the role the military plays in American democracy. The Insurrection Act is reserved for extreme situations like rebellions or invasions. . . . Our system of federalism leaves policing crime on American streets up to the states. Sending troops into our cities is intended for true emergencies, when governors request assistance. There is no reason to believe police departments in Portland and Chicago can’t do their jobs, and every reason to believe they can. The question we have to ask is, why does an American president want to upset this balance, which has served for almost 250 years? There is no good answer to this question. . . . We all know what Portland and Chicago have in common with other cities Trump has threatened with military might, like Los Angeles and Memphis. It’s that they are run by Democrats. This is about control and intimidation, not about fighting crime. National Guard troops aren’t trained to do that like police are, because of the longstanding prohibition against using the military for domestic law enforcement purposes. That didn’t stop Secretary of Defense Hegseth from calling up 400 members of the Texas National Guard on Sunday, apparently with Governor Abbott’s blessing, to be deployed “where needed, including in the cities of Portland and Chicago.” It’s well worth reading in full. Here’s what VoteVets thinks: Donald Trump wants to invade Democratic states he doesn’t like with Guard Troops from Republican states he does like. This is the President of the United States militarizing American cities against their will for absolutely no reason, other than as a show of force. It is illegal. It is outrageous. It’s against everything this country stands for. And it would put American Soldiers in a place they should never be — facing off against American citizens. And while Donald Trump is trying everything in his power to antagonize people into conflict, Troops don’t want to be used for political fights. It’s not why these men and women joined the Guard. They signed up to serve, to help out during disasters, and to defend American citizens with their lives, if necessary. But Trump and Pete Hegseth are doing everything they can to destroy the Military and remake it in their image. It’s absolutely sick. We are not going to sit by and let them do this to our brothers and sisters. VoteVets is on the frontline of every political fight involving our Troops and Donald Trump’s abuse. We’re one of the only organizations that can do this work. And we truly need your assistance. If you can afford it, make a donation to VoteVets and support our mission as we continue to square off against Trump and his administration on Capitol Hill, in the court room, and at the ballot box. Vance concludes: . . . Let’s not lose sight of how crazy this is or be afraid to call it out. What stops Trump? We do. When there is pushback, TACO: Trump always chickens out. It’s time to educate the people around us about what’s going on—a surprising number of people are blissfully unaware. Trump backs down in the face of sustained opposition. Let’s give him a reason to do just that. Join Indivisible. Make plans to peacefully protest with friends October 18. Fund the opposition party (or “my” dinner — it all goes into the same pot.) An adequately funded DNC is not the only thing we need in order to prevail — but it is an absolutely necessary thing.