President Trump’s latest move has the smell of a racial dog whistle – and a wilder theory is bubbling beneath it. After deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C. on August 11, he called out Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland, Calif., as “other cities also that are bad, very bad,” hinting at more Guard action. All five have black Democratic mayors. Is this a coded racial play, or could it be a long shot to suspend next year’s mid-term elections? Let’s break it down with the facts we’ve got – and the speculation that follows.
The Facts That Stand Out
Here’s what we know:
1. The mayors of these cities – Brandon Johnson (Chicago), Karen Bass (LA), Eric Adams (New York), Brandon Scott (Baltimore), and Sheng Thao (Oakland) – are all black, as is the mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser.
2. They’re all Democrats, leading urban strongholds with significant minority populations. Trump’s press conference, tied to a Washington deployment despite crime down 35% in 2024 and 26% in 2025 per Justice Dept. data, zeroed in on these leaders.
A History of Racial Coding
Trump’s track record fuels the race card. In 2019, he trashed Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat-infested mess” under black Mayor Elijah Cummings. His 2020 tweets hit Detroit and Philadelphia – both black-led – during election season. NBC reports from August 12 link this to a “law and order” playbook with racial undertones, a tactic tracing back to Nixon’s Southern Strategy. Dog whistling uses coded language to stir bias without saying it outright – could this Guard hint be the latest riff?
Crime or Colour? The Mayors Fight Back
Crime’s no stranger – Chicago’s logged 573 homicides in 2024, and Baltimore’s seen its share. Trump’s team might say it’s about Democratic mismanagement, with Mayor Adams facing New York crime heat. But the mayors aren’t having it. Mayor Johnson calls it “misinformation” with a 15% crime drop since 2023. Mayor Bass cites LA’s 60-year homicide low. Mayor Scott slams “right-wing propaganda” with a 17% drop, Mayor Thao notes Oakland’s 24% decline, and Adams insists he’s in control. Their pushback suggests a racial frame they’re all too familiar with.
The Mid-Term Wild Card
Here’s where it gets speculative – and risky. Could this National Guard push be a long-term play to suspend the 2026 mid-term elections? Trump knows that if he loses the House and the Senate his presidency is over – there will be nobody to save him from impeachment (bar a rogue Democrat).
Trump’s hinted at “taking back control” in cities, and with martial law rumours swirling on X, some wonder if urban deployments could justify delaying democracy if “law and order” falters. It’s a stretch – no evidence ties the National Guard to election meddling yet – but the racial focus on Democratic black-led cities raises the question: Is it a power grab in disguise, or just bombast?
Also by Michael Taylor:
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President Porky-Botty is such a liar, a dirty deviate, a proven crook, an abuser, cheat, groper, grabber, racist, ultrafixated frankfurt fondler, that any political filth is possible, supported and advised by hidden bent greedites. Criminality on a huge scale threatens us all.
One would be surprised if the mid term elections were free, fair or compliant; look out if the GOP looks threatened ….
Agreed Andrew.
If what’s happening already in Texas is any guide, then an almighty sh*t fight is on the way – despite the ‘fightin’ words from the California Governor.
Of course it’s about retaining power. Rigging the mid-terms if possible, cancelling them if necessary.
If anything smells even faintly of a power grab, assume that is what it is. With MAGA in power, you can’t go wrong with that assumption.
It’s also about deflection. Trump’s efforts to shut down the Epstein issue and defuse the anger and attention from disaffected MAGAs who were apoplectic over the refusal to release the files and who (rightly) smelled a cover-up were failing. Being an adept at smoke and mirrors, he’s created another artificial crisis. Attention diversion 101.
Yep.
Deflections & most significantly, the mid-terms. Expect to see the T-Rump regime’s American home-ground jiggery pokery increase dramatically over the next 12+ months