Federal Court Greenlights Trump's Military Deployment Against Americans

A federal appeals court handed Donald Trump a dangerous victory Friday, ruling he can continue using California's National Guard and Marines against protesters while Governor Gavin Newsom's legal challenge proceeds. The three-judge panel—including two Trump appointees—sided with his claim of authority under the Insurrection Act, essentially greenlighting federal military intervention in states whose governors oppose it.This decision represents the exact opposite of the lower court ruling and creates a chilling precedent for military deployment against American citizens on U.S. soil. Within hours of the ruling, Trump announced plans to expand military operations to other Democratic-led cities, weaponizing the National Guard along partisan political lines.The cost is staggering—over $100 million to deploy Marines in California to detain veterans and suppress dissent, while we simultaneously face potential conflicts in Iran and continue withdrawing support from Ukraine. As Olga Lautman noted, this marks a fundamental shift toward the police state mechanisms that authoritarian regimes like Russia have maintained for decades, but that Trump is now building in real-time using whatever military assets he can control.Iran War Drums Beat LouderRussian intelligence assets, including Seymour Hersh, spent Friday spreading reports that Trump plans to attack Iran this weekend after markets close. Whether accurate or not, the timing suggests coordination between Moscow and Trump's circle, with Russia and Iran jointly running information operations to divide the MAGA base over potential military action.European diplomats scrambled to Geneva for emergency talks with Iran's foreign minister—the most significant Western-Tehran engagement since hostilities erupted. But with Netanyahu unlikely to let Trump off the hook and Israel publicly dismissing diplomacy, the window for peaceful resolution appears to be closing rapidly.Weaponizing Justice Against DemocracyTrump's demand for a special prosecutor to investigate the "stolen" 2020 election isn't just another social media rant—it's preparation for systematic weaponization of the Justice Department. With Kash Patel already opening investigations into Chinese election interference and Biden aides over fabricated claims, this represents a clear pattern of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents and rewrite history.Microsoft Suspends ICC Prosecutor Email The broader assault on democratic institutions accelerated with Microsoft's suspension of ICC prosecutor Karim Khan's email account under pressure from Trump's executive order targeting the International Criminal Court. Though quickly reversed for other officials, the incident sparked panic across Europe about U.S. control over critical digital infrastructure and its weaponization against allies investigating war crimes.European Allies Brace for ImpactAs Trump pressures NATO allies to limit Ukraine support in next week's summit, European capitals are taking concrete steps to prepare for Russian invasion without American backing. Germany is deploying 5,000 troops to Lithuania—a historic move for a country that has carefully avoided military deployments since WWII. Poland is mining borders and repositioning military assets, while the Baltics coordinate joint defense preparations.The geopolitical realignment is stark: Trump continues protecting Russian oil infrastructure while demanding Ukraine stop targeting it, even as Russia attacks Ukrainian energy facilities. His early departure from the G7 summit to avoid meeting Zelensky, combined with Pentagon discussions about withdrawing troops from Europe, signals a complete abandonment of America's traditional alliances.Meanwhile, Hungary's Viktor Orban—Trump's closest European ally—faces a 16-point polling deficit as scandals swirl around