The Plan Is Working: Fear, Force, and the March Toward American Authoritarianism

Of course, it’s all a coincidence. Marines are arresting civilians in Los Angeles. ICE raids are ripping families apart. Federal troops deployed without state consent. Political opponents detained. And now, a state legislator has been murdered. All part of the new normal. Nothing to see here. It’s just another week in the great American experiment.

This is not chaos. It’s choreography. What may seem like a string of shocking, disconnected headlines is actually an authoritarian blueprint unfolding in real-time. Donald Trump’s administration is not merely pushing legal boundaries but deliberately breaking them and testing the system. Daring anyone to stop him. Spoiler: No one has.

A Parade and a Prison Cell

While Trump celebrated his birthday with a $45 million military parade through Washington, D.C.—complete with tanks, helicopters, and thousands of troops—his administration was quietly rounding up immigrants, detaining protestors, and deploying active-duty Marines into American cities. In Los Angeles, a Marine unit detained a civilian veteran at a protest. A Posse Comitatus violation? Surely. But who’s counting when you’re playing emperor?

The Posse Comitatus Act is very clear: the military cannot enforce domestic law. Trump’s people don’t care. No insurrection was declared. No governor requested help. Marines and National Guard troops were unleashed anyway. Their mission? ‘Protect’ federal property—apparently by kettling protestors and silencing dissent.

ICE, once a law enforcement agency, now functions more like a paramilitary wing of the administration. Over 300 people were swept up in L.A. raids. In New Jersey, detainees broke out of a facility due to overcrowding and mistreatment. Meanwhile, a Catholic bishop is organizing volunteers to accompany immigrants in court, because mercy is now a revolutionary act.

MAGA Provocateurs and Manufactured Chaos

Let’s be honest: Much of the ‘violence’ blamed on left-wing protesters looks a lot like false flag operations. MAGA extremists show up, spark chaos, then melt away—just in time for police or troops to swoop in and crack skulls. It’s almost as if someone wants a reason to deploy the military. Hmm.

California Senator Alex Padilla was physically removed and handcuffed at a press conference. His crime? Saying words. He didn’t throw a punch or light a fire. He spoke out. The arrest was the point: power doesn’t argue; it detains.

In Minnesota, State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were gunned down in what authorities are treating as a politically motivated attack. The gunman had a manifesto targeting over 70 state lawmakers. MAGA rhetoric didn’t pull the trigger, but it sure built the platform, handed out microphones, and paid for security.

And then there’s Brevard County, Florida, where Sheriff Wayne Ivey warned protestors to ‘think twice’ because his deputies would be out in ‘full force.’ It’s a message wrapped in folksy concern, but make no mistake—it’s a threat. This isn’t policing; it’s political enforcement.

Cancel the Protest, Mission Accomplished

In the wake of the Minnesota shooting, “No Kings” rallies were canceled across the country. Fear works. Fear silences. The administration doesn’t need to outlaw protest when it can just scare people into staying home. Authoritarianism doesn’t need laws—it needs compliance. And it’s getting it.

Faith leaders from the United Methodist and Catholic traditions are resisting in quiet, bold ways, attending court, holding vigils, and declaring the value of every human life. For now, they’re ignored. But if the administration feels threatened, how long before priests and pastors are labeled subversives, too?

This Is the Plan

Don’t act surprised. Every action—the parade, the arrests, the ICE sweeps, the suppression of protest—is part of a strategy. You don’t roll tanks past the Capitol unless you want people to remember the sound. Trump wants obedience. He thrives on fear. He’s not hiding it. The plan is working, and Congressional Republicans, at best, sit on their hands, and “mostly” at the worst, support and enable this takeover.

Sources

• HuffPost: ‘Marines Detain Civilian During ICE Protest in L.A.’ — https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marines-los-angeles-civilian-detention_n_684ca532e4b070091d77a465
• HuffPost: ‘4 ICE Detainees Escape New Jersey Facility After Protest’ — https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-detainees-delaney-hall-escape_n_684c735ee4b070091d778511
• HuffPost: ‘Retired Military Fear a Tiananmen Moment in Trump’s Parade Plans’ — https://www.huffpost.com/entry/former-us-military-officials-fear-tiananmen-square-moment-trump-parade_n_684c5651e4b0897e37f9c6bd
• HuffPost: ‘Sen. Alex Padilla Arrested During GOP Press Event’ — https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alex-padilla-republicans-warning_n_684c5313e4b070091d7768d4
• HuffPost: ‘Bishop Joins Legal Fight for Immigrants in Court’ — https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pope-leo-bishop-immigrants-court_n_684c41d0e4b070091d7755c6
• AP News: ‘Minnesota Lawmaker, Husband Killed; Senator Wounded’ — https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-shot-d7983e1e4f1a7573a487cab1a98cd172
• USA Today: ‘Florida Sheriff Warns Protesters: Think Twice’ — https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/13/protests-violence-florida-sheriff/84186122007/