This is a small part of a fairly brief Guardian editorial published 16 January 2026. Viewing the original article is recommended.
The US president wants Americans to believe they are facing an emergency. The real danger is from his administration
…
In Trumpism, rules and restraint are portrayed as a corruption of the people’s will instead of the essence of American democracy. A man who pardoned supporters for an actual insurrection seeking to keep him in power now threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell protests. In October, the president told generals: “It’s a war from within.” ICE has been transformed into a paramilitary force apparently answerable only to Mr Trump. Imagine its potential uses in future.
Little wonder that Minnesotans say this feels like an invasion, and the state’s governor, Tim Walz, describes it as an occupation. The communities who are now defending and supporting each other are not only challenging the demonisation, mistreatment and removal of undocumented migrants. They are pushing back against the fear on which Trumpism feeds and the manufacturing of a crisis which would consume many more victims.
