Trump has made Los Angeles a testing floor for navy intervention on our streets. Mayor Karen Bass says her metropolis has develop into an instance for find out how to struggle again.
This text is a part of a particular Nation package dedicated to LA’s daring stand towards the Trump administration’s assaults on the town.
Calamity has dogged the political profession of Karen Bass since her years within the California State Meeting. In 2008, she grew to become the primary Black lady to move the Meeting—or, certainly, the legislature of any state. However no sooner had she taken up the gavel than she was thrown right into a funds standoff with then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, because the nation’s worst recession in a long time threatened California, the world’s fourth-largest economic system. Bass went on to symbolize her congressional district in Los Angeles, usually profitable with greater than 85 % of the vote, however her election to the Home in 2010 coincided with the height of the Tea Get together backlash. And after she was elected as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus throughout the early days of Trump’s first time period, Covid struck.
Making her manner again to Los Angeles in 2022, Bass defeated billionaire Rick Caruso to develop into mayor of the nation’s second-argest metropolis. Then wildfires struck in January 2025, resulting in an effort to recall her as mayor and practically upending her drive to deal with homelessness, the main target of a citywide state-of-emergency declaration she signed on her first day in workplace. The recall effort finally failed, however then it was January of 2025 and Trump was headed again to the White Home.
I spoke with Bass just lately in Los Angeles. As we drove via the Skid Row encampments of unhoused Angelenos, drank brew on the Espresso Firm, and stopped by a group group’s anniversary bash, the mayor talked in regards to the state of the town she serves and the nation we dwell in. This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Gail Reed
The Nation: Los Angeles has been thrust onto the nationwide stage and into the headlines greater than as soon as this 12 months.
Karen Bass: The primary a part of the 12 months, we had the worst pure catastrophe in California’s historical past. And we had been in our restoration interval when, on June 6, out of nowhere, the ICE raids began. ICE descended on a number of areas on the similar time and simply took folks away day after day. They drove common automobiles however with darkened home windows, typically no license plates. They’d soar out of the automobiles, absolutely masked, armed with rifles. They’d actually snatch Latinos off the road, which is why, in our metropolis, we seek advice from it as “the looking of Latinos.” And this sowed absolute terror. An instantaneous protest began as a result of, in our metropolis, we’re lucky to have a well-established immigrant-rights infrastructure with organizations which can be over 40 years previous.
Present Challenge
Supposedly to answer the protests, the very subsequent day, on Saturday, June 7, President Trump ordered 2,000 Nationwide Guard troops to Los Angeles, later growing that to 4,000. He seized energy from [Governor Gavin Newsom], who’s commander in chief of the California Nationwide Guard. None of us requested for that. The Nationwide Guard arrived on Sunday morning. However hours earlier than, Trump stated to the world that he stopped Los Angeles from burning down as a result of he had [already] deployed the Nationwide Guard.
Los Angeles is 500 sq. miles. The protests the place there was some vandalism occurred over 4 blocks. That was it. A riot by no means occurred right here. So that you deploy 4,000 Nationwide Guards, 700 Marines, for what in our view amounted to unrest such as you see after the Lakers win a championship—when 100 folks dangle round afterwards and set police automobiles on fireplace and graffiti up locations.
The vandalism that did happen, in my thoughts, was egregious. Iconic areas that commemorate immigration had been vandalized: Olvera Avenue, the primary road in Los Angeles, which is basically a tribute to Mexican tradition, as a result of this [land] was Mexico at one time. Then the Japanese American Museum, which sits on hallowed floor as a result of it’s the very location the place the Japanese had been interned. A mural of Cesar Chavez had “F ICE” scrawled on it.
I’m not attempting to sugarcoat the vandalism. The vandalism was dangerous, nevertheless it was not a riot, and the town was not burning down. The Los Angeles Police Division, with help from the county sheriffs, managed the vandalism. The Nationwide Guard had been by no means wanted right here. They had been used as props, and LA—a metropolis that celebrates immigrants—was getting used as an experiment.
The Nation: How massive is Los Angeles’s Latino inhabitants?
KB: LA has 3.8 million folks, and near 50 % of the inhabitants are Latinos. Most Latinos listed below are from Mexico, plus a major quantity from Central America, then South America. Sectors of our economic system are utterly depending on immigrant labor, together with key industries like style, building, hospitality, vacationer venues. After the fires, we have to rebuild the Pacific Palisades. It’s estimated that a minimum of 40 % of the development business [in the city] is Latino, so the raids can completely have an effect on rebuilding.
The Nation: Now the raids have moved on to different cities. What’s the takeaway?
KB: In LA, they by no means stopped, simply slowed down. [Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who led the Los Angeles raids,] moved on to Chicago. My level to the nation is: Beware! That is being examined in liberal Los Angeles as a result of, if they will get away with this right here, then you’ll be able to think about what they may do in locations the place the mayor may be a Democrat however the state is Republican.
If you happen to take a look at the cities within the president’s crosshairs, they’re overwhelmingly ruled by African American mayors. For my part, it was an try to drive a wedge between African Individuals and Latinos, regardless that there are many Black immigrants. In truth, the raids in Miami primarily focused Haitians. We’ve a whole lot of Black immigrants right here from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and African nations.
The administration argues that they don’t want possible trigger to tug somebody over. Their possible trigger is that you just may be an immigrant; you may look Latino. They had been testing what occurs. Will the American public tolerate navy intervention on our streets? There will not be imagined to be navy on our streets, and actually, there’s the Posse Comitatus Act, which particularly forbids navy intervention for home issues.
The Nation: Now President Trump is threatening to invoke the Rebel Act.
KB: Sure, and he would use that authority to grab full management of a metropolis, militarize it, and take over native legislation enforcement. On condition that nowhere are we going through an revolt, that might be a gross misuse of the ability of the presidency.
The final time the act was invoked was in 1992 in Los Angeles, to quell the unrest that erupted after the police had been acquitted within the beating of Rodney King. That was characterised as probably the most damaging civil unrest in current US historical past and definitely doesn’t describe what is going on now.
The Nation: It’s clear that you just draw from experiences that transcend your metropolis or one interval in historical past. How would you characterize the disaster we’re going through within the US at this time?
KB: We have to take a look at how profound this second is. I’ve stated to younger folks that 40 years from now, you’ll bear in mind this second. For my part, we face the best risk to our democracy because the Civil Struggle.
We’ve actually had horrible issues occur, just like the internment of the Japanese, COINTELPRO, the murders of Black activists from the Panther Get together and different militant organizations. However that is society-wide. When the president took workplace, the very first thing he did was declare a struggle on racial justice, on DEI—range, fairness, and inclusion. And who had been the culprits? Basically African Individuals. He went out and fired African Individuals who had been in management, leaving a pall over the nation that in case you are an African American and in management, you’re suspect. You’re suspected of being incapable, unqualified, and that you just solely obtained there due to your race. Some 300,000 African American girls had been affected by DOGE cuts and different federal layoffs. After which [the administration] moved on to immigration.
The Nation: How do you see the administration’s insurance policies taking part in out throughout the nation?
KB: Trump is dosing the American public. In LA, we obtained a dose on immigration. Will Angelenos tolerate it? We didn’t—Angelenos stood robust. Our metropolis was extra united than I’ve ever seen it. We stood robust, we stood collectively, we had been morally outraged as a metropolis.
Then [Trump’s forces] moved on to different cities. They gave Washington, DC, a dose on crime and homelessness. The Nationwide Guard [was deployed] to “clear up homelessness and to deal with crime.” I can solely think about that the younger folks swept up had been overwhelmingly African American, they usually completely focused juveniles. Proper after, [the administration] needs to decrease to 14 the age at which younger folks may be tried as adults.
Subsequent, you go and also you dose Chicago on immigration and crime. One of the crucial egregious interventions was a raid on an condominium constructing at 1 AM, the place they actually deployed from a Blackhawk helicopter, kicked in doorways, pulled folks out on the road—whether or not they had been clothed or not—zip-tied them. They did this to the Black and Latino residents in that constructing, beneath the guise of searching for Venezuelan gang members. The Black folks might need been of a number of nationalities, however most had been US residents.
You had folks in Los Angeles, and I’m certain different cities, who had been within the nation legally. You had US residents who had been pulled over and detained. Once they had been swept up off the road, their households had no thought the place they had been, as a result of they weren’t allowed to have any contact with relations or authorized counsel. This was a dramatic departure. Immigration enforcement has all the time occurred, however folks had prepared entry to their households and to authorized counsel.
The Nation: We’re additionally seeing sweeping adjustments in how the federal authorities approaches larger training, the media, nonprofits—strikes that improve the ability of the federal government and significantly the White Home. When, throughout his first time period, Trump referred to African nations as “shithole nations,” you spoke earlier than African diplomats, assuring them our establishments constituted a bulwark robust sufficient to face as much as anyone man’s outrageous opinions. What would you say at this time?
KB: I used to be deeply offended. However I did guarantee them that [Trump’s first] administration was an anomaly and that they need to relaxation assured our establishments had been robust.
However I used to be improper: He has proven that our establishments will not be robust. We by no means imagined an administration that might simply slash and burn them.
It was in follow, however now [only] in idea, we now have three coequal branches of presidency. We’ve the judiciary, which is now not impartial. We’ve each homes of Congress—but, for my part, this speaker and the pinnacle of the Senate took their gavels over to Pennsylvania Avenue and surrendered them to the White Home. After which we now have the administration. Proper now, we now have one department of presidency with all the ability, and that’s the government department.
The Nation: If the American public will get fed up and desires to elect a extra progressive model of Democrat in our cities, then, A, is it attainable? And B, what sort of help do you want for that to occur?
KB: Effectively, and C, what are the results of it? I believe the decision on that’s nonetheless out. We don’t absolutely know. You may have anyone elected to workplace with a robust progressive agenda who’s going to be very vocal towards the president. They usually danger a cutoff of federal sources. Additionally they danger punitive actions towards them as leaders, but additionally towards their metropolis.
However, they danger that in the event that they do nothing, or even when they attempt to get alongside. You danger getting punched within the face for present. So I think about that some folks operating, like within the New York [mayoral] race, are in all probability prepared to take that danger. And all people is terrified, questioning how on earth they’ll reply when it’s their flip.
The Nation: What can we anticipate subsequent?
KB: They’ve been clear—criticize the administration all you need, however they did give us a play-by-play script. They put it in writing and instructed us every little thing they had been going to do. We have to learn that guide by Undertaking 2025.
Right this moment, I believe the basic factor occurring is psychological: It’s getting us to simply accept and normalize. “Effectively, yeah, OK, the Nationwide Guard is right here.” No! We must always go, “Oh, my God, the Nationwide Guard is right here!” “Oh, my God, you had the Marines in Los Angeles, and there was nothing occurring!”
Apparently, after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, you had a younger Black man discovered within the South at a college, hanging from a tree. And, in fact, it was stated, “Oh, that’s suicide.” Actually? Was it? And that was the subsequent week.
The Nation: You didn’t see a lot about that.
KB: In fact you didn’t. You had Stephen Miller in Memphis speaking to an entire room of cops, saying you’re hereby unleashed, unleashed together with your weapons. And what do you assume are the demographics of that metropolis’s inhabitants?
Progressives can communicate out and join the dots. I believe it’s particularly incumbent on these of us who’ve achieved elder standing to advertise historical past, so that individuals perceive that there was this man named Joe McCarthy, whose identify has develop into synonymous with an entire period of witch hunts, blacklists, and loyalty oaths. Federal and even many state staff, together with California’s, needed to take a loyalty pledge, swearing they weren’t now nor had ever been members of the Communist Get together or organizations stated to be affiliated.
Right this moment, to obtain a grant or a contract from this administration, you must pledge [that you aren’t carrying out DEI or sanctuary-city policies]. You primarily pledge that you just gained’t promote folks of colour and you’ll cooperate with the looking of immigrants in your cities. I tie that to [saying] “I’m not now nor have I ever been….”
However I believe younger folks would profit from realizing that most of the issues that we see occurring unexpectedly, in case you decide them aside, they’ve occurred earlier than. That is one cause why I name it the best risk to our democracy because the Civil Struggle: That is all occurring directly, all through our nation, to everybody. That is the dismantling of our life as we now have identified it for the final century.
The Nation: You could have talked about LA being a Petri dish for the remainder of US cities. Is it additionally an instance of what it means to elect a mayor on a progressive platform? Has your ideology, your imaginative and prescient of what must be achieved in metropolis authorities, modified over this primary interval?
KB: Ideology is my anchor, enshrines my values, and guides my choices. Nonetheless, you can not govern a metropolis by ideology alone. Folks anticipate you to sort things. You want sensible solutions. For instance, I ran my marketing campaign calling for metropolis buses and trains to be free. I nonetheless consider it’s one thing we must always work towards. However then I confronted the fact that it’s not inexpensive post-Covid. I may keep caught in my ideology, or I may make as a lot of the [transit] system as free as attainable. Proper now, meaning younger folks and college students. And that was doable.
The Nation: You took workplace promising that your precedence could be housing LA’s unhoused and discovering long-term options to homelessness. How has that fared?
KB: I ran for mayor as a result of homelessness had exploded. I used to be having flashbacks to the ’90s, when the crack-cocaine epidemic and gang violence exploded. On the time, Angelenos had develop into indignant and bitter, they usually simply wished to eliminate these folks. They didn’t care what occurred to them. That led to mass incarcerations and sentencing, which didn’t tackle the basis causes of the issues. I may really feel that coming once more, however this time criminalizing the unhoused inhabitants. So on my first day [as mayor], I put the town in a state of emergency, as a result of we had tens of 1000’s of unhoused folks in our metropolis, some dying every single day—a humanitarian disaster.
We’ve been getting 1000’s of individuals off the road. We wouldn’t have an issue with that. However I discovered a ton of different administrative issues in a system that was created by no means to finish homelessness, solely to handle it—I believe with the delusional concept that it was simply going to work its manner out.
[Since Bass took office in December 2022, street homelessness has dropped by 17.5 percent, declining two years in a row, according to July 2025 University of Southern California data verified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. And the use of makeshift shelters, tents, cars, vans, and RVs is down this year by 13.5 percent. Bass has been credited for resolving some 100 encampments and adopting a citywide homelessness prevention program while facilitating the construction of more than 30,000 affordable-housing units.]
The Nation: What occurs to your program for tackling homelessness within the context of the White Home’s insurance policies?
KB: What did Trump do? He issued an government order on homelessness, mainly saying that individuals needs to be arrested, locked up. It was their fault, and cities had been too namby-pamby in how they had been coping with it.
On our Skid Row, the place we now have greater than 5,000 folks residing on the road, I can think about the Nationwide Guard coming via and simply “cleansing out” that space. I may see a facility like an Alligator Alcatraz being arrange on federal property and folks simply being swept away.
This was a difficulty in a whole lot of Democratic cities, however now homelessness is all over the place. But the one cities Trump talks about are cities the place the people who find themselves unhoused are folks of colour. There are a whole lot of 1000’s of white homeless folks as effectively, however that’s not what his focus is.
So once I seek advice from “dosing,” it’s additionally [meant] to get the American inhabitants to not be horrified by troops strolling up and down their road. It’s to get the American folks to neglect that the navy is meant to function in international lands and never domestically. It’s to get the American inhabitants to consider that issues are so uncontrolled that you just want the navy to return in and take over as a result of anyone who appears like me or is a Democrat is incompetent at governing. Once I noticed the images of vacationers taking pictures with the Nationwide Guard, it was horrifying, as a result of that’s how normalization begins.
We’ve three extra years of this, however they began off this 12 months with the technique of “flood the zone,” traumatizing folks. And that ushers in an agenda to basically restructure the nation. We have to take note of the restructuring that is happening whereas we struggle these battles one after the other. If we simply get immersed within the battles or so depressed we will’t even give it some thought, then we now have surrendered our nation, and we now have surrendered our folks.
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Onward,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and writer, The Nation
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