1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

President Trump’s seizure of the D.C. Metropolitan Police and deployment of National Guard troops—without lawful cause—is a blatant act of authoritarian overreach. Crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low. This is not about public safety. This is about consolidating power. Look at the cities Trump is targeting: Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, Oakland, New York. What do they have in common? All have Black mayors and large Black populations. This is not about stopping violent crime. It is about controlling Black communities with military force. It is white supremacy in action—a modern form of apartheid. Meanwhile, since August 1st, mass shootings have occurred in Austin TX, Cameron TX, Midland TX, Cleveland OH, Thompson PA, Fort Stewart GA, Virginia Beach VA, Fargo ND, Richmond CO, Iowa City IA, Harvey IL, Omaha NE, Memphis TN, and Anaconda MT. Not one of these cities has been targeted for National Guard takeover. Why not? I think the answer is obvious to anyone with a conscience and a knowledge of Donald Trump’s history of racism. What the President has done violates one of the most important protections we have against tyranny: the Posse Comitatus Act. This law exists to prevent the U.S. military from being used to police our own citizens. Trump has openly broken it, making this action unconstitutional. For that alone, he should be impeached immediately. Rep. Bentz – Who do you care about more? The man enriching himself off the suffering of others, or the American people who value democracy? You swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That oath is not partisan. Your continued support for this President’s unlawful actions makes you complicit. Silence is complicity. When these acts are judged in a court of law, history will remember those who stood up—and those who stood by. I demand you: • Publicly denounce this action. • Work to reverse it immediately. • Affirm that no President can seize local law enforcement without lawful cause. This is a test of loyalty—not to a man, but to the Constitution and to the people. Stand for democracy, or stand with authoritarianism. History will remember your choice.