Intro

Chapter One: Defining Presidential Authority

Chapter Two: Timeline to Total Authority

Chapter Three: Handing the Keys to the “Fascis

Epilogue: De Facto Nullification of Posse Comi

Post Show Musings

Donald Trump overrode Governor Gavin Newsom to federalize the California National Guard to police the streets of Los Angeles. Protests over ICE’s deportation tactics are growing, prompting the Trump administration to leverage extreme authority over the protests, with Pentagon head Pete Hegseth warning that he will call in the Marines if necessary. All of this calls into question the limits of presidential authority in domestic civil disturbances and whether Posse Comitatus is still the law of the land. While it’s still on the books, it has been effectively gutted over the past 30 years by multiple administrations through procedural changes to the U.S. Code that have gone largely unnoticed. 

Access the episode resources.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:52

Chapter One: Defining Presidential Authority. 00:03:15

Chapter Two: Timeline to Total Authority. 00:09:45

Chapter Three: Handing the Keys to the “Fascist in Chief.” 00:16:08

Epilogue: De Facto Nullification of Posse Comitatus. 00:18:48

Post Show Musings: 00:21:01 

Resources

Public Intelligence: DoD Directive 3025.12 Military Assistance for Civil Disturbances (MACDIS)

Department of Defense: DoDI 3025.21, February 27, 2013, Incorporating Change 1 on February 8, 2019

Gov Info: Federal Register, Volume 78 Issue 71 (Friday, April 12, 2013)

Department of Defense: DoD Directive 3025.12 

AP News: What to know about the protests over Trump's immigration crackdown in LA and other cities

POLITICO: Newsom blasts deployment of National Guard to LA as ‘purposefully inflammatory’

TIME: Trump Sparks Backlash Ordering National Guard to LA Protests

U.S. Code: Positive Law Codification

Legal Information Institute: 19 U.S. Code § 1677 - Definitions; special rules

U.S. Code: uscode.house.gov

The New York Times: Newsom Criticizes Hegseth for Saying Marines Could be Mobilized in California

Legal Information Institute: 18 U.S. Code § 1385 - Use of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force as posse comitatus

Bonnie Baker: The Origins of the Posse Comitatus

NPR: Trump expands military use at the southern border. Are there legal limits?

UNFTR Resources

Video: LA Protests: Is this the END OF POSSE COMITATUS?

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Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Donald Trump overrode Governor Gavin Newsom to federalize the California National Guard to police the streets of Los Angeles. Protests over ICE&rsquo;s deportation tactics are growing, prompting the Trump administration to leverage extreme authority over the protests, with Pentagon head Pete Hegseth warning that he will call in the Marines if necessary. All of this calls into question the limits of presidential authority in domestic civil disturbances and whether Posse Comitatus is still the law of the land. While it&rsquo;s still on the books, it has been effectively gutted over the past 30 years by multiple administrations through procedural changes to the U.S. Code that have gone largely unnoticed.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr157">Access the episode resources</a>.
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:52
Chapter One: Defining Presidential Authority. 00:03:15
Chapter Two: Timeline to Total Authority. 00:09:45
Chapter Three: Handing the Keys to the &ldquo;Fascist in Chief.&rdquo; 00:16:08
Epilogue: De Facto Nullification of Posse Comitatus. 00:18:48
Post Show Musings: 00:21:01&nbsp;
Resources
Public Intelligence: <a href="https://publicintelligence.net/dodd-macdis/">DoD Directive 3025.12 Military Assistance for Civil Disturbances (MACDIS)</a>
Department of Defense: <a href="https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/302521p.pdf">DoDI 3025.21, February 27, 2013, Incorporating Change 1 on February 8, 2019</a>
Gov Info: <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2013-04-12/html/2013-07802.htm">Federal Register, Volume 78 Issue 71 (Friday, April 12, 2013)</a>
Department of Defense: <a href="https://info.publicintelligence.net/DoD-MACDIS.pdf">DoD Directive 3025.12</a>&nbsp;
AP News: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/insurrection-act-trump-troops-newsom-military-national-guard-a842f79e1c0e244039be274a6f266a7a">What to know about the protests over Trump's immigration crackdown in LA and other cities</a>
POLITICO: <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/07/newsom-national-guard-los-angeles-00393526">Newsom blasts deployment of National Guard to LA as &lsquo;purposefully inflammatory&rsquo;</a>
TIME: <a href="https://time.com/7291978/los-angeles-immigration-protests-trump-national-guard-deployed-newsom-backlash/">Trump Sparks Backlash Ordering National Guard to LA Protests</a>
U.S. Code: <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/codification/legislation.shtml">Positive Law Codification</a>
Legal Information Institute: <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1677">19 U.S. Code &sect; 1677 - Definitions; special rules</a>
U.S. Code: <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title%3A23+section%3A101+edition%3Aprelim%29">uscode.house.gov</a>
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/us/newsom-hegseth-marines-immigration-protests.html">Newsom Criticizes Hegseth for Saying Marines Could be Mobilized in California</a>
Legal Information Institute: <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1385">18 U.S. Code &sect; 1385 - Use of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force as posse comitatus</a>
Bonnie Baker: <a href="https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Chronicles/baker1.pdf">The Origins of the Posse Comitatus</a>
NPR: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/g-s1-63778/military-border-zone-posse-comitatus-explained">Trump expands military use at the southern border. Are there legal limits?</a>
UNFTR Resources
Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/UclKq32wGjs?feature=shared">LA Protests: Is this the END OF POSSE COMITATUS?</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UNFTR"></a>
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If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/unftr.com">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@unftrpod">TikTok</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>. Join our Discord at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/discord">unftr.com/discord</a>.
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Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at<a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations"> bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>.
Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (<a href="https://www.mannyfacesmedia.com">mannyfacesmedia.com</a>). Original music is by Tom McGovern (<a href="http://www.tommcgovern.com/">tommcgovern.com</a>). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

Unf*cking The Republic&reg; (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

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