Updates on Los Angeles and the Army Parade

NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us to discuss the unrest in Los Angeles and concern that anti-Trump demonstrations may ramp up nationally going into Saturday's military parade in Washington DC. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So a couple of things to get to with Rory O'Neil,
NBCNUS Radio National correspondent joining us. Thanks for doing this today.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Sure morning, Steve.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Let's start with protests in Los Angeles and making as
many headlines. Is the federal response to what is going on?
What more today?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, right, and we had another night of a strong
police presence throughout downtown LA. They started rounding people up
last night, detaining them, putting them in those zip ties
and putting them on buses, driving them a few blocks
away and saying we can either arrest you or let
you go. So most people obviously just decided to go
home and that really did take the pressure off things.

(00:38):
But look downtown there's been a lot of graffiti, a
lot of police vehicles have been damaged. Those robot taxis
were damaged over the weekend as well. I think there
are a lot more troublemakers in the mix now and
that the people who have genuine political disagreements with these policies,
they might be falling back a bit.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
And speaking of disagreements, Gavin Nisson, the governor having trouble
with President's response with the National Guard, and now maybe
the Marines are definitely the Marines.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, he's definitely got issues with the President and the
Defense Secretary mobilizing the Marines, deploying them, because really their
function is a bit gray under the law. All they
can really do is protect stuff. They can stand around
a building and that's about it. They don't have the
power to arrest people. They don't have the power really
to touch people, and as soon as you sort of

(01:27):
cross that line, it gets a little weird legally speaking.
That's part of the reason that California filed suit against
the Trump administration, trying to push back against their decision
to activate the National Guard. Now four thousand California National
Guard troops have been activated against the wishes of the governor,
and you've got seven hundred Marines also deployed as well.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
So, speaking of pushback, there may be some protests. On Saturday,
a couple of things come together once again. It is
a two hundred and fiftieth birth day of the Army.
There'll be a parade coincides with the President's birthday as well,
so those two are coming together. Heard the Secret Service
saying listen, if you want to complain, do whatever brings

(02:12):
some signs. Great if you want to cross the line.
We're going to take care of business.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, right, And this big parade is drawing lots of protests.
They're saying, this is really Donald Trump celebrating his own
birthday and putting on this flashy, expensive parade that's going
to cost like fifty million dollars. So we're seeing these
no Kings protests happening across the country, like eighteen hundred
protests in mostly blue states. But I think that what

(02:40):
we've seen in LA this week is also going to
feed into some of these no King protests. I think
this is going to be a troubling week until we
get through this parade on Saturday.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
By the way, the Marine Corps turns two hundred and
fifty years old, and so does the Navy this year.
So if you're listening and you are a veteran, thank
you for your service. I'm sure you were thinking that too.
That is our friend Rory O'Neill, NBC News Radio national correspondent.
Always great stuff.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Thank you, Thanks Steve