Trump Doesn’t Just Want Troops in LA. He Wants Them at the Polls

RIGHT TO VOTE

The president has long dreamed of deploying U.S. troops to quell domestic dissent. That would be a nightmare on Election Day.

Published Jun. 14 2025 9:00AM EDT

A photo illustration of President Donald Trump, an Election day booth, and military members. — Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

The White House knew that conducting ICE raids in the heart of Los Angeles—where 40 percent of the population is Latino and one in 10 is undocumented—would create a stir.

Eleanor Clift

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Trump Doesn’t Just Want Troops in LA. He Wants Them at the Polls

The president has long dreamed of deploying U.S. troops to quell domestic dissent. That would be a nightmare on Election Day.

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Eleanor Clift