Is this the end of the rule of law in America?

Members of the California National Guard and US Customs and Border Protection agents stand behind shields outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles, on June 10, 2025.

Since the start of his second term, President Trump has been at odds with the federal courts.

The protests in Los Angeles are just the latest series of events to raise huge questions about presidential power: in this case, whether the president can use military force to control protests.

NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge who has a stark warning: that Trump’s actions signal of the end of the rule of law in America.

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(Image credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN)