Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On President Trump’s Dangerously Authoritarian Decision To Deploy The National Guard And Marines In Los Angeles

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Donald Trump’s violent provocation of deploying the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles, attempting to distract from his many failures. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

From the moment Donald Trump entered the public sphere, he has thrived on division and diversion. He fans the flames of chaos, then pretends to be the firefighter – always looking for someone else to blame for the infernos he helped ignite, all in an attempt to divert Americans away from his many failures.

And now, Donald Trump, cornered by his own failures – from pushing a heartless bill that would rip health care away from 16 million Americans, to raising costs from his reckless tariffs, to waging war with Elon Musk – Trump is desperately seeking a distraction.

His order to deploy the National Guard and Marines – our own troops – on Americans is not just outrageous and provocative, it’s a dangerous authoritarian overreach that threatens the very fabric of our democracy.

This isn’t leadership; it’s provocation.

To be very clear, violent protest is not the answer for achieving the work of justice. Full stop.

Protests must remain peaceful, and law and order must be maintained.

Though let me emphasize: deploying federalized troops without a state’s consent hasn’t happened in over sixty years – and when it did, it was to protect civil rights heroes marching for justice in Selma, Alabama. That moment was about progress. This one is about power and intimidation.

We must all stand up and say loud and clear: America will not be bullied into submission by a president who confuses strength with force and democracy with domination. Americans don’t deserve more fear, more division, more chaos.

This president is using the military not to protect the people, but to silence them. He is playing politics with the lives of our troops and the safety of our citizens. It’s shameful, it’s unlawful, it’s deeply un-American. Once again, President Trump is choosing chaos over competence and division over democracy.

The only consequence of Donald Trump’s order sending troops to Los Angeles is chaos, and Americans don’t like it.

Instead of deescalating, Donald Trump is pouring fuel into a fire hoping for an explosion, to distract from what he’s really doing.

President Trump should call back the National Guard and the Marines immediately, and leave the work of law enforcement to the governor and the mayor, who are more than capable of keeping order without escalation. 

Finally, let me repeat: as Donald Trump orders troops to Los Angeles, he is working here in Washington to steal health care from tens of millions of Americans.

He is pushing a billionaire tax cut that will explode the debt and sink America’s economic future.

He is letting DOGE run Social Security to the ground.

He is spiking costs for everyday Americans through his reckless tariff war.

And Donald Trump hopes nobody is paying attention.

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