What Did Donald Trump Do Today to Break the Law?
That’s the question I asked this morning. Here’s the answer—based on what actually happened today.
While much of the media continues to spin, distract, or sanitize, the truth is stark: Trump continues to operate as if the law doesn’t apply to him. And today, he may have broken it again.
⸻
1. Escalated Military Deployment to Los Angeles
Today, Trump signed an order deploying active-duty troops, Marines, and federalized National Guard forces to Los Angeles amid unrest tied to ICE operations. But he did not invoke the Insurrection Act—which is the only federal statute that permits the use of military force for domestic policing under certain conditions.
That omission matters.
Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the U.S. military is prohibited from engaging in domestic law enforcement unless authorized by Congress or specific federal law. By skipping the Insurrection Act, Trump’s deployment may constitute an unlawful use of military power.
Even more alarming:
• California officials were not consulted in advance.
• Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit calling the deployment an “illegal federal takeover” and an “assault on state sovereignty.”
• Legal scholars warn this may violate both the Posse Comitatus Act and the Tenth Amendment, which gives states control over their own National Guard unless lawfully federalized.
In plain English: Trump may have just ordered an unconstitutional invasion of an American city, using American troops.
Sources:
• The Guardian: Newsom decries Trump’s ‘assault’ on democracy
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jun/10/los-angeles-protests-la-donald-trump-ice-gavin-newsom-california-live-latest-news
• CRS Report on Posse Comitatus Act
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/R42659.pdf
⸻
2. Hush-Money Conviction Appeal
Trump also appeared before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals today in an effort to move his 2024 criminal conviction—34 felony counts for falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels—from state to federal court.
This appeal isn’t a crime, but it’s a legally and politically revealing move. Trump’s argument? That the crimes occurred “while he was president” and should therefore be considered part of his official duties.
It’s a stretch. Paying off a porn star and falsifying records to avoid election fallout is not, and never was, a presidential function. But the appeal reveals Trump’s ongoing effort to reframe criminal activity as untouchable—because he once held office.
Sources:
• AP: Trump seeks to erase conviction
https://apnews.com/article/9defa620ade66158e4e9b12ade3fe778
• Business Insider: Trump hush-money appeal
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-appeal-argued-big-law-firm-sullivan-cromwell-2025-6
⸻
Summary
So what did Donald Trump do today that could break the law?
1. He ordered troops into an American city without legal justification—possibly violating the Posse Comitatus Act and the Constitution.
2. He continued using the legal system to blur the line between personal crimes and public office, undermining accountability.
This isn’t normal. It’s not politics. It’s authoritarian overreach—on full display, again.
Today was not just another news cycle. It was another line crossed.
