President Trump is reportedly eager to invoke the 200-year-old Insurrection Act to deploy military forces against civilians in Minnesota. Legal experts discuss the lack of current authority for such a move and potential consequences if it proceeds. The context involves the killing of Renee Good and concerns over civil rights accountability.
The Amicus podcast from Slate explores President Trump's strong interest in activating the Insurrection Act, a law dating back over two centuries that permits the use of active-duty military to enforce domestic laws on U.S. streets. Co-host Mark Joseph Stern speaks with Professor Steve Vladeck, an authority on national security law and military justice, about the barriers preventing Trump from invoking the act at present and the absence of legal grounds for doing so now. They also consider the ramifications should Trump proceed regardless.
The discussion ties into unrest in Minnesota, linked to the killing of Renee Good. Stern then interviews Julia Gegenheimer, formerly with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and now at Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection. They examine ongoing routes to justice in Good's case and the implications when the Department of Justice fails to pursue civil rights enforcement.
Experts warn that invoking the act on what they describe as a weak basis could pave the way for broader misuse of military power domestically. The episode highlights ongoing debates over federal authority and civilian protections amid political tensions.
