Executive Lawlessness Crisis

The Eclipse of the Republic: Confronting the Era of Executive Lawlessness and Unsanctioned War

We have crossed a threshold from which there may be no easy return. As of March 2026, the United States is no longer merely debating policy; we are witnessing the fundamental dismantling of the constitutional order. For those of us who believe that the presidency is an office defined by the "rule of law"—not the rule of a single man—the current administration’s trajectory under Donald J. Trump has moved beyond a political disagreement into a full-blown constitutional emergency.

The centerpiece of this crisis is the initiation of "Operation Epic Fury." This is not just a military campaign; it is a manifestation of a "lawless presidency" that views the separation of powers as an inconvenient suggestion rather than a binding mandate.

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I. The Architecture of a Lawless War

The launch of "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran on February 28, 2026, represents the most significant breach of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in American history. By initiating a massive, coordinated air and sea campaign without even a courtesy briefing to the "Gang of Eight" in Congress, the President has effectively declared that the "Power of the Purse" and the "Power to Declare War" now reside solely within the Oval Office.

• War by Social Media: When the first missiles struck targets in Fordow and Natanz, the American public—and our representatives—found out not through a formal address, but through a series of late-night posts on Truth Social. This isn't just a breach of decorum; it is a deliberate tactic to bypass the deliberate, transparent process required by a Republic.

• The "Preemptive" Fallacy: The administration claims these strikes were necessary to prevent a "looming threat." Yet, by shattering the remains of the JCPOA and systematically ignoring IAEA warnings, the administration created the very vacuum they now claim to be "filling" with high-explosives. We are witnessing a manufactured crisis used to justify unilateral aggression.

II. Domestic Lawlessness: The "Shadow Docket" and Schedule G

The "lawlessness" of this administration isn't confined to foreign battlefields; it is being mirrored in the halls of our domestic institutions. Through a strategy of "Administrative Flood-the-Zone," the President has sought to overwhelm the judiciary and the civil service.

• The Purge of Expertise: Under the revived "Schedule G" reclassifications, we have seen the mass termination of nonpartisan experts across the Department of State and the Department of Defense. When you replace career diplomats and military strategists with political "loyalists," you remove the final layer of institutional resistance to illegal orders.

• The Shadow Docket Presidency: The administration has mastered the use of "emergency stays" from a sympathetic Supreme Court. By pushing radical policies—like the suspension of birthright citizenship (currently being litigated in Trump v. Barbara)—and then winning stays that allow the policies to remain in effect during years of litigation, they are governing through "fact on the ground" rather than established law.

III. The Economic Fallout: Tariffs as a Weapon of Control

The recent pivot to a 10% global tariff—instituted via executive order after the Court struck down the "Liberation Day" tariffs—is a masterclass in economic lawlessness. By bypassing the House Ways and Means Committee, the President has essentially levied a national sales tax on every American consumer.

This isn't "fair trade"; it is an executive seizure of economic power. It bypasses the legislative branch’s constitutional authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations. As gas prices surge toward $7.00 a gallon in the wake of the Strait of Hormuz tensions, the administration’s response has been to blame "internal enemies" rather than their own disruptive trade and war policies.

IV. The Human Cost: Civil Liberties in the Crosshairs

Perhaps the most painful aspect of this lawless era is the targeted erosion of civil liberties. From the revival of the "Security Bars" rule to the mass deportation raids that have split families across the Southwest, the administration is using the raw power of the executive to bypass due process.

When the President speaks of "terminating" parts of the Constitution to address perceived fraud or security threats, we must believe him. The rhetoric of 2024 has become the policy of 2026. Whether it is the stripping of federal recognition for transgender citizens or the deployment of the National Guard to "patrol" urban centers, the message is clear: The law is whatever the President says it is today.

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Conclusion: A Republic, If We Can Keep It

We are at a moment where the "check and balance" system is failing. A presidency that treats international treaties as disposable, the civil service as a spoils system, and the war power as a personal prerogative is a presidency that has abandoned the American experiment.

"Operation Epic Fury" is the symptom; the underlying disease is a disregard for the constraints of the law. We cannot afford to be "exhausted" by the chaos. The survival of the Republic depends on the insistence that no man—regardless of the office he holds—is above the law.

From Diplomacy to "Epic Fury": The Cost of Shattering the Iran Deal

For years, we were told that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the "worst deal in history." Today, March 2, 2026, as smoke rises over Tehran and American families mourn six service members killed in Kuwait, we are seeing the alternative. This administration didn't just walk away from a deal; they walked us into a war.

The "shattering" of the Iran nuclear deal was not a single event, but a systematic demolition of the very idea of international trust. By replacing verification with "Operation Epic Fury," President Trump has traded a functional—if imperfect—diplomatic framework for a chaotic military campaign with no clear exit strategy.

The Myth of the "Better Deal"

Throughout 2025, we were promised that "Maximum Pressure 2.0" would force Iran back to the table for a "perfect" agreement. We saw three rounds of indirect talks in Muscat and Rome, but the administration's demands—total cessation of all enrichment, the dismantling of every missile, and an end to regional influence—were never designed for a signature. They were designed for a stalemate.

When the 60-day deadline expired in February 2026, the administration didn't look for a compromise. Instead, they used the "failure" of the talks they sabotaged as a pretext for the February 28 strikes. The reality is now clear: the goal was never a better deal; it was always a different regime.

The High Price of Executive Impulsivity

The launch of "Operation Epic Fury" via an 8-minute video on Truth Social at 2:00 a.m. is the pinnacle of this administration’s lawlessness. By bypassing the War Powers Resolution and dismissing Congressional oversight, the President has unilaterally committed the United States to what he calls a "4-to-5-week" campaign. History, however, tells us that wars in the Middle East are rarely measured in weeks.

• The Humanitarian Toll: Reports of 165 girls killed in an elementary school strike in southern Iran are a haunting reminder of what "surgical strikes" look like on the ground.

• The Proliferation Risk: By bombing nuclear sites like Fordow and Natanz, we haven't eliminated the knowledge of how to build a bomb; we’ve only eliminated the inspectors who could tell us if they were doing it. The IAEA has already confirmed they have lost all visibility.

• The Economic Blowback: With the IRGC threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, we are looking at a 20% disruption in global petroleum flows. The "One Big Beautiful Bill" won't save the average American from $7-a-gallon gas.

The Ghost of the JCPOA

We must remember that under the original deal, Iran's breakout time was measured in years, and their facilities were under 24/7 surveillance. Today, that security has been replaced by "Maximum Pressure" and B-2 stealth bombers. The President claims to have "obliterated" their program, yet the Secretary of State is simultaneously warning that the "hardest hits are yet to come."

Which is it? Is the threat gone, or is the war just beginning?

Conclusion: A Republic of Rules, Not Tweets

A presidency that treats international treaties as disposable and war as a social media announcement is a presidency that has lost its way. We are no longer a nation that leads through the strength of its word, but a nation that imposes its will through the raw power of "Epic Fury."

The nuclear deal wasn't just about uranium; it was about the belief that even the bitterest enemies could find a path to prevent a cataclysm. By shattering that deal, this administration has left us with nothing but the cataclysm itself.

The Sunset of the Rule of Law: Why This Administration is a Crisis, Not a Presidency

 We are currently witnessing a transformation of the American executive branch that is as unprecedented as it is alarming. For those of us who believe that the presidency is an office of service—bound by the Constitution and the oversight of co-equal branches—the actions of the last fourteen months under Donald J. Trump have been a sobering wake-up call.

This isn't just about "politics as usual." It’s about the systematic dismantling of the guardrails that keep our democracy functional. From the "shadow docket" victories to the unilateral use of military force, the current administration has moved beyond traditional governance into what many legal scholars now describe as a period of "executive lawlessness."

The Deregulation of Accountability

Early in 2025, the administration launched its "10-for-1" regulatory cap. While framed as a "Prosperity" initiative, the reality is the gutting of essential protections. By requiring the repeal of ten regulations for every new one, the administration has effectively paralyzed agencies like the EPA and the Department of Labor.

But the lawlessness isn't just in what they stop doing; it's in how they've redefined federal power:

• The Purge of the Civil Service: The creation of "Schedule G" has allowed for the mass termination of nonpartisan experts, replacing them with political loyalists. When you remove the experts, you remove the institutional memory that prevents illegal orders from being carried out.

• The DOGE Oversight Crisis: Granting private entities unprecedented access to sensitive government payment systems (like Social Security and Medicare) bypasses standard ethical and legal protocols, essentially outsourcing the "power of the purse" to unelected billionaires.

Civil Liberties Under Siege

We cannot talk about this presidency without addressing the human cost of the current immigration and social policies. The revival of the "Security Bars" rule and the initiation of mass deportation raids have not only created a humanitarian crisis but have tested the limits of the Fourth Amendment.

Furthermore, the administration's stance on gender identity—stripping recognition from federal policies and enforcing transfers in carceral facilities—is a direct assault on the dignity and safety of some of our most vulnerable citizens. It is a policy of exclusion, enforced through the raw power of executive orders rather than the deliberation of Congress.

"Operation Epic Fury" and the War Power

Perhaps most terrifying is the recent escalation in the Middle East. Over the past weekend, the launch of "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran was conducted with a startling lack of transparency or Congressional consultation. We are seeing a president treat the U.S. military as a personal instrument of regime change, bypassing the War Powers Resolution and dismissing the skepticism of the American public.

A Declining Mandate

The polls from early March 2026 reflect a growing exhaustion. With favorability dipping to 36% and even longtime supporters expressing concern over the administration’s "ethics in office," it’s clear that the "mandate" claimed on Inauguration Day is fraying.

A presidency that governs through the "shadow docket" and "flood-the-zone" executive orders isn't leading; it is imposing. When the law becomes whatever the President says it is on Truth Social at 2:00 a.m., we no longer have a Republic. We have a crisis.

The Weight of the Stars and Stripes: A Tribute to the Fallen

 

The Weight of the Stars and Stripes: A Tribute to the Fallen

There are moments in our nation's history where time seems to fracture. For many of us, the news of losing service members in the line of duty—specifically those who stood on the front lines in Iran—is one of those moments. It is a sharp, sobering reminder that the "peace" we enjoy at home is often bought with a currency most of us will never have to spend.

Today, this blog isn't about politics, foreign policy, or strategy. It is about the people. It is about the empty chairs at dinner tables and the folded flags that now sit on mantels across America.

The Cost of the Watch

To serve in a high-tension region like Iran requires a specific brand of courage. These men and women operated in the shadows of complexity, maintaining the watch so that the rest of the world might sleep soundly. When a service member dies in such a theater, they aren't just losing their lives; they are giving up every tomorrow they had planned.

• The Birthdays Missed: The cake won't be cut; the song won't be sung.

• The Homecomings Cancelled: The signs at the airport will stay rolled up in the garage.

• The Quiet Legacies: The wisdom they would have passed to their children is now a memory to be preserved rather than a voice to be heard.

Why We Must Remember

It is easy for the public to see a headline and feel a fleeting pang of sadness before scrolling to the next story. But for the families left behind, the headline never changes. Their world has stopped.

We owe it to the fallen to be active rememberers. To remember them is to acknowledge that their sacrifice was not in vain and that their names carry a weight that words can barely support. They were the best of us—individuals who stepped forward when others stepped back, driven by a sense of duty that transcends self-interest.

A Message to the Families

To the mothers, fathers, spouses, and children: There are no words in the English language—or any language—that can fill the void left behind. Please know that your loved ones are held in the highest esteem by a grateful nation. They were more than soldiers, sailors, airmen, or marines; they were the heartbeat of our freedom.

"Poor is the nation that has no heroes, but shameful is the nation that, having them, forgets them."

Our Vow of Silence and Action

As we reflect on those lost in Iran, let us take a moment of true silence. But let that silence be followed by action. Support a veteran’s charity, reach out to a Gold Star family, or simply live a life worthy of the sacrifice made on your behalf.

They gave their today for our tomorrow. We will not forget.

THE GLOVES ARE OFF: Top Commander Blasts Trump’s ‘Illegal’ Iran War

By: The Blog Topics Brief | February 28, 2026

The sirens are still wailing in Tehran and Tel Aviv, but the biggest explosion today might be the one happening inside the Pentagon.

Just hours after President Trump announced the launch of "Operation Epic Fury"—a massive joint U.S.-Israeli strike campaign aimed at toppling the Iranian regime—the military’s leadership is reportedly in a state of open revolt. While the White House is busy posting "Mission Accomplished" style videos on Truth Social, the people actually tasked with fighting this war are sounding the alarm.

"Blatantly Unconstitutional"

In a scathing public statement that has sent shockwaves through Washington, retired Major General Paul Eaton—a former top commander in Iraq and senior advisor to VoteVets—didn't hold back. He labeled the strikes "blatantly unconstitutional," ripping into the President for bypassing Congress and the War Powers Act to start what he calls an "illegal war of choice."

"Men who know more about war than Donald Trump ever will warned him repeatedly about the risks to American lives," Eaton stated. "Starting a war with no goal, no focus, and no Congressional authorization isn't leadership—it’s incompetence on a global scale."

A War Without a Map?

The critique hitting hardest isn't just about the legality; it’s about the strategic vacuum. Despite the administration's claims that this will be an "easily won" victory, reports are leaking that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine, has been privately warning the President for weeks that we are walking into a meat grinder.

The military's core complaints?

• No Exit Strategy: There is no clear plan for what happens after the bombs stop falling. Are we occupying? Are we nation-building?

• Incompetence at the Top: Commanders are reportedly frustrated by a "fitful cycle of lashing out" rather than a coherent strategy.

• Munitions Drain: Warnings have been ignored that a prolonged fight with Iran will leave the U.S. completely exposed in the Pacific if China decides to move on Taiwan.

The Political Fallout

On Capitol Hill, the reaction has been a mirror of the military's frustration. Senators Tim Kaine and Rand Paul are already moving to force a vote on a War Powers Resolution by Monday, calling the move an "extreme abuse of power." Even some of Trump's usual allies are reportedly quiet, waiting to see if the "easy win" turns into another twenty-year entanglement.

Trump, for his part, remains defiant. From Mar-a-Lago, he told reporters that General Caine is "a great fighter" who knows "only one thing: how to WIN." But as the first reports of U.S. casualties at bases in Bahrain and Qatar start to trickle in, the distance between the President’s rhetoric and the military's reality is becoming a canyon.

The bottom line: We are 12 hours into a new war, and we already have a constitutional crisis and a military leadership that feels ignored. This isn't just about Iran anymore—it’s about who actually controls the sword of the United States.

CONSTITUTIONAL SHOWDOWN: Senate Moves to Block Trump’s Iran Strikes

By: The Blog Topics Brief | February 28, 2026

The smoke hasn’t even cleared from the first wave of Tomahawk missiles, but a second front has already opened—this time on the floor of the United States Senate.

As of this morning, a rare bipartisan coalition is moving at "breakneck speed" to invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Their goal? To legally force President Trump to halt "Operation Epic Fury" and withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran within 30 days unless Congress officially declares war.

The "Kaine-Paul" Alliance

In a scene that highlights just how fractured D.C. has become, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) stood side-by-side on the Capitol steps today. Their message was simple: The Constitution doesn't give the President a blank check for regime change.

"The President is acting as if Article II of the Constitution makes him a king," Senator Kaine told reporters. "It does not. Only Congress has the power to declare war. We are reclaiming that authority today."

Senator Paul added a warning to his own party: "If we allow any President—regardless of party—to start a global conflict on a whim, we have abandoned the Republic. This is about the law, not the man."

The White House Defense: "Article II"

The White House Counsel’s office issued a defiant memo late last night, arguing that the President has "inherent constitutional authority" as Commander-in-Chief to protect U.S. interests and allies (specifically citing Israel) from "imminent" Iranian threats.

Legal experts are calling this the "Preemptive Self-Defense" doctrine, a controversial interpretation that essentially bypasses the need for Congressional approval if the President deems a threat "urgent."

The Legal Sticking Points:

• The 60-Day Clock: Under the War Powers Act, the President has 60 days to get authorization before being forced to withdraw. The Senate resolution aims to shorten that clock to zero.

• The "Imminence" Debate: Critics argue the administration hasn't provided a shred of intelligence proving Iran was about to attack the U.S. mainland or its assets.

• Funding the Fight: The real teeth of the Senate’s move? A threat to block an emergency $40 billion supplemental funding bill for the strikes.

2026 Midterm Heat

With the 2026 Midterms just months away, this legal battle is also a political minefield. Vulnerable incumbents are being forced to choose between supporting a "wartime President" or standing up for "Constitutional checks and balances."

Polls taken in the last 24 hours show a nation split right down the middle, but one thing is clear: the Senate floor is about to become the most important battlefield of the month.

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The Vote is scheduled for Monday night. If it passes, we are looking at a historic Constitutional crisis that could end up in the Supreme Court before the week is out.

The Brink of War: Reflections on Operation Epic Fury

 The world woke up to a different reality today. As of February 28, 2026, the smoke rising over Tehran and the sirens wailing across the Middle East signal more than just a localized strike—they signal the beginning of what the Trump administration has termed "major combat operations" in Iran.

For many, this is a moment of profound anger and heartbreak. While the geopolitical justifications fly across our news feeds, the human reality is far more somber: our service members are once again in the crosshairs of a conflict with no clear end in sight.

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A Massive Escalation Under the Radar

What began in the early hours of this morning as Operation Epic Fury (or Roaring Lion in Israel) has quickly evolved into an unprecedented air and sea campaign. This isn't just about surgical strikes on nuclear facilities; the targets have expanded to include:

• Government Centers: Strikes hit near the compound of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the National Security Council in Tehran.

• Military Infrastructure: Over 500 targets across 14 cities, including air defenses and IRGC command hubs.

• The Ultimate Goal: President Trump has been explicit—the objective is regime change, calling on the Iranian people to "take over your government" while promising "certain death" to those who resist.

The Human Cost and the Constitutional Crisis

While the White House frames this as a path to liberation, the immediate fallout is devastating. Reports from IRNA have already confirmed civilian casualties, including a strike that hit a girls' school in southern Iran.

Back home, a storm is brewing in Washington. Critics are calling this an "illegal and authoritarian" move, noting that the President launched these strikes without Congressional authorization. Many lawmakers, like Senator Mark Warner and Representative Adam Smith, have warned that this "war of choice" bypasses the checks and balances designed to prevent precisely this kind of unilateral escalation.

Thoughts with Our Service Members

The bravest among us—the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines—are now facing the brunt of Iran's retaliation. Ballistic missiles have already targeted U.S. installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.

As we watch the headlines, our hearts are with the families waiting for news. We have been here before, and the lessons of the past twenty years should have taught us that "weeks-long operations" rarely stay within their borders.

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"The American people have seen this playbook before—claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change." — Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

FINALLY CAPTURED AND ARRESTED! Vance Boelter, the alleged shooter of two Minnesota elected officials, has been arrested and is in custody according to CBS News.

Minnesota authorities said their manhunt for the suspect in the shooting of two state Democratic lawmakers remains very active and urged the public to come forward with any information.

Law-enforcement agents were focusing their search in Sibley County, Minn, not far from the home of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. Authorities found a hat linked to him near a vehicle that they believe he left in the area, they said at a press conference on Sunday evening.

Authorities said they have received 400 tips so far and are unsure what mode of transportation Boelter is using to get around. They added that he has been in contact with people, although they didn’t specify who and said they are unsure if anyone is helping him evade capture.

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Boelter is suspected of posing as a police officer to gain access to the Brooklyn Park home of state Rep. Melissa Hortman early Saturday, according to law-enforcement officials. The 55-year-old lawmaker, a former speaker of the state House, and her husband, Mark Hortman, were fatally shot there in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called an act of “targeted political violence.”

He also is suspected in the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman, 60, and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, in their Champlin, Minn., home. They both survived. The victims’ homes are about 8 miles apart and located roughly 15 to 20 miles north of Minneapolis.

Boelter was named as a suspect in part because of an identification left at the scene of Hortman’s shooting, special agent Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in an interview with Fox News. Law-enforcement agents were also able to run traces on firearms recovered by officials.

Authorities said they found a list in the suspect’s vehicle that named other public officials. Those officials were alerted and have received additional security, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear if Boelter knew Hoffman or Hortman.

The list had dozens of names, including prominent individuals who support abortion rights in Minnesota, Democratic lawmakers, and abortion providers, according to an official who has seen the document.

On Sunday, authorities said they haven’t found a manifesto, only names of lawmakers and others alongside other thoughts, which they didn’t detail.

The shootings were “politically motivated, and there clearly was some throughline with abortion because of the groups that were on the list,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat of Minnesota, on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning.

Klobuchar, the senior senator from Minnesota, is mentioned in the suspect’s writings, according to a person with knowledge of a briefing on the subject.

The senator said she was with Hortman and her husband at a “big political dinner” the night before the killings. “That was the last time so many of us saw Melissa and Mark.” She said Walz, a Democrat, called her at 5 a.m. Saturday to tell her about Hortman’s death.

Klobuchar said Hoffman and his wife “are hanging in there.”

She shared a message from Yvette Hoffman, who said she and her husband were both “incredibly lucky to be alive” after being shot multiple times. “John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” his wife said in the statement.

On Sunday morning, Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park was surrounded by yellow police tape. Plywood covered the front door and several windows. A police cruiser and several media teams were parked across the street.

Alka Dabade, a retiree who lives about one hole away on the golf course behind the Hortman home, walked about half a mile to see the house.

“It’s shocking,” she said, noting that she and her husband had lived in the area since 1993 and consider it very safe. The couple got an alert from the police to shelter in place on Saturday around 5:30 a.m. They weren’t allowed to leave until 3:30 p.m., she said.

Records show that Boelter lived with his family in a house in rural Green Isle, Minn., about an hour’s drive from Hortman’s home. He stayed a few nights a week at a rental home in Minneapolis with roommates.

One of his roommates, David Carlson, said Boelter was working overnight shifts for an organization that handles eye donations while trying to get a private security company off the ground. Boelter has also served as a Christian preacher, including at a church in the Congo.

On Saturday, Carlson said he woke to a text from Boelter saying he was “going to be gone for a while” and “may be dead shortly.” Carlson said he called the police.

Boelter had voted for President Trump and was against abortion, Carlson said.

Police responded to the shootings around 2 a.m. Saturday. Police were called first to Hoffman’s home. Officers then went to check on Hortman’s home around 3:35 a.m. and spotted the suspect emerging from her house, said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. The suspect was dressed as a police officer and there was an SUV in the driveway with emergency lights on, according to Bruley. The suspect, who wore a badge and police gear, retreated into the house and escaped on foot out the back, he said.

Political figures from across the spectrum condemned the shootings, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) asked that lawmakers be given a briefing on security once they return from a recess. “The level of threat that lawmakers are exposed to is just unacceptable,” said Sen. Tina Smith (D., Minn.)

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THIS JUST IN! Rep. Alex Padilla (D-CA) Assaulted and Arrested by Trump Autoritarian Fascist Thug!

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed from a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday and briefly detained after trying to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

"I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla said to Noem, which prompted several men to physically push him out of the room. It was unclear who the men were as several were dressed in plainclothes.

Padilla's office shared a video of the incident with NBC News. The video shows Padilla being taken into a hallway outside and pushed face forward onto the ground as officers with FBI-identifying vests told the senator to put his hands behind his back. The officers then handcuffed him.

Padilla's office said in a statement that Padilla was in L.A. to perform congressional oversight of the government's operations in the city and across his state. The statement said that the senator is no longer detained.

"He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with [Air Force] General [Gregory] Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference," his office said. "He tried to ask the Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information.”

Democrats have ramped up criticism of the Trump administration after the president deployed National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to L.A. in response to the ongoing protests. Dozens of demonstrations have taken place across the country in the days that followed and more are planned this weekend.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., denounced the incident on the Senate floor. "I just saw something that sickened my stomach. The manhandling of a United States Senator, we need immediate answers to what the hell went on," he said.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the state's other senator, wrote on X that Padilla "represents the best of the Senate. The disgraceful and disrespectful conduct of DHS agents, pushing and shoving him out of a briefing like that, demands our condemnation. He will not be silenced or intimidated. His questions will be answered. I’m with Alex."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X that Padilla "is one of the most decent people I know." "This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now," he added.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which Padilla is a member, called what happened "unacceptable."

"We demand a full investigation and consequences for every official involved in this assault against a sitting US senator," the group said on X.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., interrupted a House committee hearing on sanctuary cities after video of Padilla spread on social media and called on the panel to subpoena Noem over the incident. “We need to subpoena Kristi Noem,” Frost demanded of House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. “Just shut up,” Comer replied, after moments of back-and-forth yelling.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., criticized Padilla for interrupting the news conference.

“If you come to my press conference, yeah, you need to be respectful," he said, adding, "What he ought to be doing, in my view, is making sure that we have rational immigration policy. And Senator Padilla, who’s a nice man, sat on the sidelines for four years, watch the border completely be blown apart.”

The incident follows a string of arrests of Democratic elected officials related to immigration. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested last month for allegedly trespassing at an ICE facility in New Jersey. The charges were ultimately dropped, but he has sued interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba over the incident and Ricky J. Patel, a special agent in charge of the Newark division of Homeland Security Investigations.

Earlier this week, Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was indicted on federal charges that stemmed from the same confrontation with law

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BREAKING!!! Mahmoud Khalil's deportation by ICE blocked by federal judge!

The federal judge presiding over Mahmoud Khalil’s case on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration, for now, cannot deport or detain the Columbia University activist based on a determination by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The judge’s preliminary injunction will not take effect until Friday, allowing the government time to appeal.

Rubio has cited an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify Khalil’s removal from the U.S., saying that he poses a national security risk. He had argued that the provision allows the secretary of state to “personally determine” whether Khalil should remain in the country.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil could not be removed based on Rubio’s determination, but said another avenue by which the government is seeking could be a basis for his deportation.

Khalil was a Columbia University student who played an active role in protests over the war in Gaza on the Manhattan campus last year.

He was arrested by federal agents in March and has been held since, as he and his lawyers have challenged efforts to deport him. The Trump administration has accused him of leading “activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security has alleged that Khalil has acted to “glorify and support terrorists.”

Khalil, who has not been charged with any crime, last week called the claims “grotesque and false.”

In his decision Wednesday, the judge said that Khalil’s “career and reputation are being damaged and his speech is being chilled — and this adds up to irreparable harm.”

The Department of Homeland Security has also argued that it could detain Khalil because he inaccurately completed his lawful-permanent-resident application.

But that would not work as an argument to keep Khalil detained, Farbiarz wrote.

“The evidence is that lawful permanent residents are virtually never detained pending removal” for those types of omissions, he wrote.

“And that strongly suggests that it is the Secretary of State’s determination that drives the Petitioner’s ongoing detention — not the other charge against him,” Farbiarz wrote.

Messages seeking comment from the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department were not immediately returned.

Khalil was one of the first campus protesters targeted by the Trump administration, which has vowed to strike back over protests over the war in Gaza, which Israel launched after it was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Trump has targeted Columbia and Harvard, citing a fight to combat anti-semitism at universities.

The Trump administration last week claimed Columbia violated Jewish students’ rights and threatened the Manhattan university’s accreditation.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Phil Helsel

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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JUST IN! US Marines arrive in LA; California governor warns 'democracy under assault'

After days of fiery protest against federal immigration raids, Los Angeles residents and officials braced for the arrival of hundreds of U.S. Marines on Tuesday in what some called an unprecedented and potentially explosive deployment of active-duty troops with hazy mission objectives.

As Trump administration officials vowed to crack down on “rioters, looters and thugs,” state and local officials decried the mobilization of 700 troops from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, calling it a clear violation of law and civility. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass even likened the deployment to “an experiment” that nobody asked to be a part of.

According to the U.S. Northern Command, which oversees troops based in the United States, the Marines will join “seamlessly” with National Guard troops under “Task Force 51” — the military’s designation of the Los Angeles forces. The Marines, like the Guard, they said, “have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and rules for the use of force.”

Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot told The Times on Tuesday that the Marines in Los Angeles were limited in their authority, deployed only to defend federal property and federal personnel. They do not have arrest power, he said.

“They are not law enforcement officers, and they do not have the authority to make arrests,” Guillot said. “There are very unique situations where they could detain someone ... but they could only detain that person long enough to hand it off to a proper law enforcement official.”

But military experts have raised practical concerns about the unclear parameters of the Marines’ objective. They also warn that sending in Marines without a request from a governor — a highly unusual step that has not been made since the civil rights era in 1965 — could potentially inflame the situation.

U.S. Marines are trained for overseas conflict zones, with deployments in recent decades in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. But the roles they have played in those nations — including providing artillery support to coalition forces fighting against Islamic State militants and advising and training local security forces — are quite different from what they might face as they confront protesters in Los Angeles.

“Marines are trained to fight, that’s the first thing they’re trained to do,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a military research group. “So I think you do have a little bit of mismatch in skills here.”

“In a crisis, when they’re forced to make a snap decision, do they have enough training and experience to make the one that de-escalates the situation rather than escalates it? I think that’s a question mark,” Kavanagh said.

Hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional lawmakers Tuesday that the mobilization of troops to Los Angeles to curtail protests would cost $134 million, President Trump told U.S. Army troops at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina that he deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines “to protect federal law enforcement from the attacks of a vicious and violent mob.”

But city and state officials have repeatedly said that troops are not necessary to contain the protests.

On Monday night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the deployment of Marines “a blatant abuse of power” and filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the deployment.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned that — “absent clear coordination” — the prospect of Marines descending on Los Angeles “presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city.”

However, Guillot said coordinating among different agencies “hasn’t been a challenge to us at all.”

“I think people understand that we’re there for a very specific purpose,” he said. “We’re very highly trained, professional and disciplined, and people have been very cooperative so far.”

By Tuesday afternoon, all 700 Marines had arrived in the Greater Los Angeles area, Guillot said. At least one convoy of U.S. Marine vehicles from Twentynine Palms had arrived at Orange County’s Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach under police escort.

The mobilized Marines and National Guard troops will be stationed in facilities across the region, including Seal Beach, Los Alamitos and a number of National Guard armories, Guillot said. He didn’t provide further details.

Over the last few days, National Guard members have already been stationed at a few federal buildings and have accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on missions, Guillot said. He expects Marines will be mobilized on the ground Wednesday, if not Tuesday evening, after wrapping up final training.

It is rare for U.S. Marines to be sent to an American city. The last time they were deployed in the U.S. was after riots broke out in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of four LAPD officers who were recorded beating a Black motorist, Rodney G. King.

Back then, President George H.W. Bush acted at the request of California Gov. Pete Wilson and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley after what The Times described as “three days of the worst urban unrest in Los Angeles history.”

Deploying Marines to Los Angeles is not only a dramatic escalation of events, but also potentially illegal, according to Abigail Hall, a defense scholar and senior fellow at the Independent Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Oakland.

Bringing in the Marines to L.A., she said, violates the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 law enacted after the Civil War, which forbids active-duty federal forces to provide regular civilian law enforcement unless authorized by Congress or the president invokes the Insurrection Act.

Trump has yet to invoke the Insurrection Act.

“I don’t see any way that this is not a direct violation of the Posse Comitatus Act,” Hall said. “We’re not at war, we’ve not invoked the Insurrection Act of 1807 — and even if we did, that’s what the National Guard is for. It’s not what the Marines are for.”

Kavanagh didn’t comment on the deployment’s legality, but called it unprecedented in modern times. She worried that could make its mission and parameters unclear for troops.

The last time the military was deployed without a governor’s request or approval, military experts said, was to facilitate court-ordered desegregation in Southern states during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Kori Schake, senior fellow and director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, said the Trump administration appeared to be trying out a new way to get around the restrictions on domestic law enforcement by the American military.

“The authority the president is claiming is his constitutional authority under what’s called the Take Care clause ... he’s claiming the federal responsibility to protect federal agents and federal property operations. That authority has never been tested in court.”

Such an approach, Schake said, was fraught with more than legal risk.

“If violence burgeons, tempers are running high, the Marines are armed, this could spiral out of control,” Schake said.

The L.A. deployment, Kavanagh said, could also be a jarring mission for Marines who signed up to go abroad and defend America’s freedom — and instead are facing off with fellow citizens.

“Does everyone know the rules of engagement?” Kavanagh asked of the L.A. mission. “Are they clear?”

She also worried that the troops deployed to L.A. are likely to have some of the most limited experience. Guard members are not full time and undergo less frequent training, and Marines retain the youngest service members of all the military branches. Nearly three-quarters of active-duty enlisted members of the Marine Corps are 25 or younger, according to a 2022 Department of Defense report. The average age is 24, compared with 27 for the Army and 28 for the Air Force.

Schake, however, pointed out that although Marines may be the youngest cohort in the military, they are well trained in de-escalation tactics.

“The wars that the United States has been fighting for the last 25 years have required incredible discipline on the use of force by the military in Afghanistan and in Iraq in particular, so they are trained for de-escalating conflict,” Schake said. “I think actually, it’s quite possible they’re better trained at de-escalation of violence than the police forces are.”

In that sense, Schake said she was less worried about violence on the streets than about “creeping authoritarianism.”

“The way the president, that Homeland secretary, the secretary of Defense, the White House press spokesman are talking is incendiary and reckless,” Schake said.

“They’re calling the city of Los Angeles — where 1 in 40 Americans live — a hellscape, and everybody in the city a criminal. They’re describing protests that are really peaceful as an insurrection. And that’s a very reckless thing to do in a difficult situation.”

Times staff writers Hayley Smith and Christopher Buchanan contributed to this report.

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