MAGA Republican Lee Anglada of Biloxi stands on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol and waves in one the old state flag, which incorporated a Confederate battle emblem, and a pro-Trump banner in the other hand during a protest in Jackson on Jan. 6, 2021, supporting Trump’s attempted coup of that day. Now, the governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, is dispatching National Guard troops to join in the president’s military occupation of Washington, D.C. | Rogelio V. Solis / AP
Six Republican governors have accepted President Donald Trump’s request to send additional National Guard troops to the nation’s capital to supposedly deal with crime. These states include Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi joined in Trump’s D.C. bashing with wild claims that “crime is out of control [in D.C.], and it’s clear something must be done to combat it.” The governor is focused on D.C. crime while his own state boasts one of the highest rates of poverty in the country, lacks clean drinking water in its state capital, has one of the worst literacy rates, and has schools that are ranked as some poorest performing in the country.
And when it comes to crime, Mississippi—and all of the states sending troops to D.C.—have cities with higher crime rates than the nation’s capital. If Reeves and these other Republican governors were really worried about fixing problems, they’ve got plenty at home to tackle.
So, what’s the real reason for their eagerness to join in on Trump’s military takeover of D.C.?
A strong case could be made that they are signing up to help fulfill the historic white supremacist mission of overthrowing Reconstruction and avenging the defeat of the Confederacy.
The neo-Confederates within MAGA want to reverse the verdict of history, which saw the old slave-holding Confederate States of America destroyed and democratized from the time of end of the Civil War up until the end of Reconstruction. After that, Jim Crow put a halt to the progress, but the victories of the Civil Rights Movement pushed back against these reactionaries yet again.
Now, they’re striking back once more.
Dispatching their troops into states and cities with Black and progressive leadership thus carries historical symbolism while also being part of the practical work of assisting Trump in establishing his desired fascist dictatorship.
“Red” states are exacting revenge nearly 150 years after the Confederacy’s defeat by destroying the history of the struggle against racism and instituting military occupation in Black and progressive-led cities and states, potentially paving the way for Trump’s appointment of new handpicked rulers.
Trump’s attack on D.C., with full Republican backing, is extremely dangerous. All democratic forces should be prepared for the worst outcome. On Aug. 22, Trump threatened the removal of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the implementation of full federal control under his own personal command.
Additionally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized National Guard troops to carry weapons on D.C. streets—pistols and rifles—as if they are in an active warzone. The likelihood of someone being injured or even killed by a federal officer or military troops has increased dramatically.
Are we on the verge of military dictatorship in the nation’s capital?
D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has lowered the threshold for convicting those with automatic weapons and shotguns. This is a signal for fascist militias to come into D.C. to terrorize the population. Some residents already claim this may be happening, with Patriot Front-looking ICE agents kidnapping and brutalizing immigrants without any due process or accountability to the public as they refuse to identify themselves and hide behind facial coverings.
A supermajority of D.C. residents, 79% according to a Washington Post poll, do not support Trump’s military occupation, and Free D.C., the campaign to defend D.C.’s Home Rule, has been demanding that the troops and federal officers be expelled from the District immediately.
D.C. won’t be the last Black-led progressive city targeted for this kind of racist takeover, of course. Chicago is already next on the list, and troops could even be on the streets there before Labor Day.
The ghosts of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee are staring us right in the face.
As with all op-eds published by People’s World, this article reflects the views of the author.
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