Making war in US communities: Trump executive order on policing threatens to set public safety back decades

 

ADVERTISEMENT sponsored by The Boston Foundation The Best of CommonWealth Beacon  OPINION Making war in US communities: Trump executive order on policing threatens to set public safety back decades June 15, 2025 By JIM JORDAN President Trump’s reckless order to deploy National Guard and Marine forces to Los Angeles, where protests recently broke out over ICE arrests of immigrants, has rightly drawn indignation as well as legal challenge. His unilateral decision to send military personnel into a US city, bypassing the role of the state’s governor in authorizing use of the National Guard, is the latest sign of the creeping authoritarianism taking hold in Trump’s second term.   But another Trump initiative ostensibly concerned with public safety is ultimately even more troubling than his effort to have military personnel -- trained for warfare -- deployed to handle domestic law enforcement. Trump is also seeking to militarize the approach of the more than half a million sworn police officers charged with protecting and serving communities across the country every day.   Amid the nonstop flurry of executive orders Trump has issued since returning to the White House is one related to policing that has received scant attention.   In the 879-word executive order, issued in late April, Trump practically previewed his recent deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles. The order, titled “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens,” is rooted in Project 2025, the omnibus plan of the radical right, published by The Heritage Foundation and aimed at remaking American government and society.  It should set off alarms among everyone, starting with dedicated police officers themselves, who is committed to public safety and best practices in law enforcement. The executive order calls for a militarized police service in the US, one that essentially operates under martial law. In the order, Trump says the attorney general and secretary of defense, working in consultation with the secretary of homeland security and other agencies, “shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.”   It further calls on the attorney general to “take all appropriate action to create a mechanism to provide legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers who unjustly incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken during the performance of their official duties to enforce the law. This mechanism shall include the use of private-sector pro bono assistance for such law enforcement officers.” (So, we now know one of the “causes” the Trump administration intends to assign to the high-priced law firms they pressured into offering free legal services.)  Perhaps most troubling is the order’s effort to undo the crucial role the federal government has played in monitoring troubled local police departments. It orders the attorney general to review, within 60 days, all ongoing consent decrees, a key instrument used by the Department of Justice to remedy systemic civil rights violations in individual police departments, and to “modify, rescind, or move to conclude such measures that unduly impede the performance of law enforcement functions.”   Far from fulfilling his vow to make a positive difference for public safety, Trump’s order would wipe out four decades of crime-reduction strategies and improvements in the overall quality of policing in US communities. During that time, we have seen dramatic reductions in violent crime across the country. The president bases his actions on the falsehood he continually repeats that crime is escalating in America’s neighborhoods. He portrays US cities, especially those in blue states, as post-apocalyptic, violent fantasy lands. (Historically, violent crime has been highest in the very red South.)  Many people in public life, including police themselves, have used martial terms as either metaphors or descriptors, however inapt, in discussing policing. For decades we have claimed to be waging a “war on crime,” while simultaneously carrying out a “war on drugs.” Yet, as the late policing scholar George Kelling told me, “so-called ‘crime-fighting’ failed completely to reduce crime, the outcome it promised.” Indeed, crime and martial rhetoric rose in tandem with one another from the 1950s into the late 1990s.   But the Trump strategy aims to take all the war talk into a new realm, seeking to transform American police departments into something that more closely resembles armed forces units patrolling our neighborhoods.   ADVERTISEMENT The tone and language of the order are angry and threatening. “Unleashing” suggests officers snarling and growling at suspects, necks strained against the leash of what it says are “‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ initiatives that restrict law enforcement activity or endanger citizens.” In the order, the president calls on officers to police more “aggressively,” “tenaciously,” and “firmly,” the clear message being that they should be unchecked by laws and left-wingers. Departments are to be provided war-making equipment and supported in their military approach by undefined “surge resources.”   The order’s talk of “indemnification” for police threatens local and state elected officials for what the president sees as unfair treatment of police personnel accused of violating laws and procedures. In his telling, officers under investigation for any sort of alleged misconduct or wrongdoing are ipso facto the victims, “wrongly accused and abused by State or local officials.”  One can readily insert the terms “Massachusetts” and “Boston” into the executive order where he directs the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute state and local officials who, in the view of Trump’s Justice Department, are interfering in some way with law enforcement.   The order to rescind federal consent decrees overseeing police departments is a grave disservice to, and indeed a threat to the safety of, the hundreds of thousands of good cops who show up each day and night trying to do the right thing. The progress we have made, in Massachusetts and across the country, in operating departments that are responsive to and respectful of the communities they serve is rooted in a commitment to community-police collaboration. Pitting police and communities against one another makes everyone less safe.  The subject and language of presidential pronouncements are always highly consequential. When it comes to the subject of policing, we have firsthand experience of that in Boston.   When President Clinton visited Boston in 1997<> to highlight the city’s efforts – based on strong police-community collaboration -- to reduce youth firearm violence, he said he wanted to “give every community the tools that you have used to make your city safe again so that we can do it everywhere in America.”   That presidential attention spurred a change in public safety practice across the country, as formerly siloed operations evolved into today’s collaborations among police, clergy, probation officers, and many others. Under the current president’s executive order, these advances will be trampled underfoot by reducing the comprehensive approach to public safety to a single tactic: aggressive enforcement by police, shoulder to shoulder with armed forces units.  Trump’s words appear designed to remake our understanding of what actually works to reduce and prevent crime and harm in our communities. Decades of experience and research have demonstrated the value of collaborative prevention strategies involving police and many additional stakeholders. Collaboration confers legitimacy, making police more effective, especially in communities with historically poor relationships with law enforcement.  .    The great irony of Trump’s muscular call for militarized law and order is that he has long denigrated the very ideas about law and justice that helped to drive the American Revolution and the framing of much of the Massachusetts and US constitutions. He disparages the independent judiciary, attacks the sanctity of trial by a jury of one’s peers, and dismisses the presumption of innocence.   The police service his order envisions could well be clad in redcoats, rounding up anyone who has displeased the king. As the Boston of the Adamses, Hancock, and Crispus Attucks sorely vexed George III, the Boston of Wu vexes the White House in our time.   Trump has made an art form of pandering with his words to police officers’ genuine concerns about their safety, but then contradicting himself in deed. His pardon of people who attacked and led to the deaths of US Capitol Police officers on January 6, 2021, is only the most obvious example. More recently, he praises police in speeches for their great work, but sends in the armed forces to make up for their make-believe shortcomings in managing crime and disorder.   The danger of all this is in the power of the bully pulpit. Falsehoods repeated often enough have a way of becoming not only perceived as facts, but the underpinning for reckless public policy.  ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jim Jordan is the retired director of strategic planning at the Boston Police Department. He has taught police strategy at Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and in training settings around the country .    The Boston Foundation is deeply committed to civic leadership, and essential to our work is the exchange of informed opinions. We are proud to partner on a platform that engages such a broad range of demographic and ideological viewpoints. Submit an Opinion Piece We welcome informed commentary about local, state and national public policy. Please include the author's contact information when submitting. SUBMIT Submit a Tip Do you have a scoop you want to share with the CommonWealth Beacon team?  We offer several ways to get in touch with and provide materials to our journalists. SEND A TIP More Commentary from CommonWealth Voices Blue Cross dropping coverage of anti-obesity drugs sacrifices long-term health for short-term savings for seniors in nursing homes   by Joseph Zucchi Where is Chelsea's subway station?  by Will Palmer, Tarang Shah, and Monica Elias-Orellana  Trump’s domestic deployment of US armed forces is an alarming abuse of power and affront to democracy by Dan McFadden DONATE MassINC. 11 Beacon St., Suite 500 Boston, MA 02108

Jim Jordan Prepares To Hit Fani Willis With Criminal Charges

CORRUPT REPUBLICANS bought CRUMBLING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS & a DIRTY COAL PLANTS....LOTS OF BRIBERY, CORRUPTION....activists attempted to get it on the BALLOT & THUGS intervened....HARVEY WASSERMAN wrote about it - look it up! REPUBLICANS screwed RATE PAYERS...the last 2 trials - one was for the STATE RATE SETTER - committed suicide, received $4.3 MILLION Former Ohio utility regulator, charged in a sweeping bribery scheme, has died excerpts: COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former top utility regulator awaiting trial on charges he took millions in bribes in conjunction with the largest corruption scandal in Ohio’s history died by suicide on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Franklin County Coroner’s Office said. Sam Randazzo, 74, the one-time chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, faced the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted of the dozens of criminal charges he faced in simultaneous federal and state investigations. He had pleaded not guilty to all of them, most notably the allegation that he accepted a $4.3 million bribe from Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. in exchange for regulatory favors. FirstEnergy has admitted to using dark money groups to fund a $60 million bribery plot that allowed former Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to win the speakership, elect his allies and pass and defend a $1 billion nuclear bailout bill, known as House Bill 6, for two of its affiliated nuclear plants. A jury convicted Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges last year on federal racketeering charges for their roles in the scheme. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Borges to five. Both have appealed. Randazzo resigned his regulatory post in November 2020 after FBI agents searched his Columbus townhome and FirstEnergy revealed in security filings what it said were bribery payments of $4.3 million for his future help at the commission a month before DeWine nominated him as Ohio’s top utility regulator. He is the second person that was accused as part of the sweeping investigation to take his own life. Long-time Statehouse lobbyist Neil Clark, one of the five people initially arrested in the probe in July 2020, died by suicide in March 2021 after pleading not guilty. The remaining two men, Juan Cespedes and Jeffrey Longstreth, pleaded guilty and are cooperating with the government in the ongoing inquiry.  

https://apnews.com/article/bribery-investigation-ohio-former-utility-regulator-dies-3059cdbb1508e8b9b1152fdff2b5028f 

Farron Balanced

599K subscribers

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan has renewed his fight against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, and he is signaling that he is prepared to file criminal charges against her if she doesn't bow to his demands. Jordan has given Willis until Monday at 5pm to turn over all the information she has about her prosecution of Donald Trump, and if she refuses, he will likely end up forcing a contempt of Congress vote in the House. Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

Link - https://www.rawstory.com/fani-willis-... Follow me on social media! https://bsky.app/profile/farronbalanc...   / farronbalanced     / farronbalanced   https://www.threads.net/@farronbalanced   / farronbalanced     / farronbalanced   Listen to my videos in an audio format by subscribing to my podcast: https://farronbalanceddaily.buzzsprou... Don't forget to like, comment, and share! And subscribe to stay connected!

Panicked Jim Jordan Desperately Wants To Keep Gaetz Report Hidden

 

Farron Balanced

585K subscribers

Jim Jordan has been piggy-backing off of Matt Gaetz for years, and now that Gaetz is no longer in the House, Jordan is still trying to protect his buddy. Jordan has been on a media blitz begging for the House Ethics report into Matt Gaetz to remain secret so that Gaetz still has a shot at becoming the Attorney General. Farron Cousins explains what's happening. Link - https://www.mediaite.com/tv/jim-jorda... Follow me on social media!   / farronbalanced     / farronbalanced     / farronbalanced   https://www.threads.net/@farronbalanced   / farronbalanced   Listen to my videos in an audio format by subscribing to my podcast: https://farronbalanceddaily.buzzsprou... Don't forget to like, comment, and share! And subscribe to stay connected!

 

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Fox host will be Secy of Defense, Elon and Vivek joining Trump admin

The David Pakman Show - November 13, 2024

Nov 13

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Trump picks RANDOM FOX NEWS HOST as Secy of DEFENSE

Donald Trump has nominated Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense, despite Hegseth's controversial views and lack of military expertise. Trump praised Hegseth's Ivy League background, which contradicts MAGA's usual criticism of such institutions. Hegseth, a defender of war and torture, contradicts Trump's anti-war stance, highlighting that loyalty, not qualifications, drives Trump's cabinet picks. Hegseth's controversial views, including opposition to women in combat, further raise concerns about his suitability for the role. This nomination underscores the focus on sycophancy over merit.

Trump tool has SICK MELTDOWN when CNN host confronts him

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, who repeatedly claimed voter fraud after the 2020 election, was confronted by CNN's Dana Bash, who pointed out that Republicans only allege fraud when they lose, not when they win. The debate revealed that Trump did not expand his voter base between 2020 and 2024, despite his prior fraud claims. Ultimately, the only difference between the two elections was the outcome—Trump lost in 2020 and won in 2024—and Jordan failed to offer any coherent justification for the shift, exposing the lack of evidence behind the fraud allegations.

From yesterday’s show:

LOL: Trump picks "clueless lightweight" as Secretary of State

Florida Senator Marco Rubio is likely to be appointed as Secretary of State by Donald Trump, marking an unexpected alliance given their history of harsh public insults. Trump previously labeled Rubio a “lightweight” and “choker,” while Rubio condemned Trump as a “con artist” unfit for office. Despite these past hostilities, both men now seem willing to set aside their differences in favor of political power. This ability to overlook personal differences could exemplify a Republican strategy of prioritizing unity and power. Such an alliance might result in a cohesive yet ideologically aggressive administration agenda.

From yesterday’s show:

WOW: The AOC voters who ALSO voted Trump

In the recent 2024 election, many voters demonstrated a tendency to split their tickets, supporting both Trump and Democratic figures like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. This pattern reflects a preference for populist appeal and perceived authenticity over strict party alignment. AOC’s Instagram post highlighted responses from voters who see both her and Trump as genuine advocates for the working class, standing apart from the political establishment. This crossover voting suggests a significant disillusionment with traditional party loyalties, as voters prioritize outsider status and anti-establishment rhetoric over partisanship and ideology.

More on the show:

-- A massive betrayal is forthcoming for Trump supporters, and they do not see it coming

-- Republican candidate Eric Hovde has lost his Senate race in Wisconsin against Tammy Baldwin and immediately claims there were irregularities

-- Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been selected by Trump to run a new Department of Governmental Efficiency

-- Despite Trump being the supposed anti-war candidate, his nominated Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth loved the Iraq War, advocated for strikes on Iran and North Korea and is generally bloodthirsty

-- Pro-Trump CNBC host Joe Kernen loses his mind while interviewing Anthony Scaramucci

-- Marco Rubio, Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of State, previously said that Donald Trump's genitals are small

-- Donald Trump is considering his personal attorney, Alina Habba, for press secretary

-- The next CIA Director, if Trump gets his way, will be John Ratcliffe, a massive election denier from 2020

-- On the Bonus Show: Allan Lichtman blames Elon Musk and disinformation for failed prediction, Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education, Trump selects Mike Huckabee as US Ambassador to Israel, much more...

-- Become a Member: https://www.davidpakman.com/membership