One must-read delivered daily to your inbox

Digging Into Trump’s Attack on the State of California

 Member Newsletter
June 9, 2025 1:22 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 8: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents take security measures as protests and confrontations between immigration rights supporters... LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 8: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents take security measures as protests and confrontations between immigration rights supporters and law enforcement continue in Paramount, California, and downtown Los Angeles, California, United States on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Taurat Hossain/Anadolu via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Send comments and tips to talk at talkingpointsmemo dot com. To share confidential information by secure channels contact me on Signal at joshtpm dot 99 or via encrypted mail at joshtpm (at) protonmail dot com.

National Guard troops are mobilized fairly frequently for domestic purposes, usually during natural disasters. Having them federalized isn’t that uncommon. But having them federalized over the objections of a state’s civil authorities is extremely uncommon and hasn’t happened in more than half a century. As this was unfolding over the weekend, I knew generally that this had last happened under LBJ as a part of enforcement of federal law during the Civil Rights Era. But I didn’t remember that the last time was specifically during the Selma-to-Montgomery March in March 1965. I was reminded of this this morning by a piece in NOTUS. This 2016 piece in Politico gives the specific details of how and why the federalization took place, which are interesting in themselves. A federal judge ruled that the march was protected under the First Amendment and that the state was responsible for ensuring its safety. Wallace refused to use state police power to do that, thus deliberately forcing Johnson’s hands (Johnson was pissed), figuring that he would gain politically if federal troops got into violent in encounters with anti-civil rights counter-protestors. As it happened, the larger spectacle was a key part of building momentum for the passage of the Voting Rights Act that August.

Want to keep reading?

Join TPM and get The Backchannel member newsletter along with unlimited access to all TPM articles and member features.

I'm already subscribed

Not yet a TPM Member?

I'm already subscribed

One must-read from Josh Marshall delivered weekly to your inbox

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

One must-read from Josh Marshall delivered weekly to your inbox

Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor-at-Large:
Contributing Editor:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher & Digital Producer:
Senior Developer:
Senior Designer: