A federal court began hearing testimony on Aug. 11 in a trial to determine whether President Donald Trump illegally used National Guard troops for law enforcement in California.
The trial is part of a broader legal debate over the federal government’s power in combating lawlessness in the country. On the day the trial started, Trump said he would activate National Guard troops to combat crime in Washington.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who is overseeing the trial, previously blocked Trump’s use of National Guard troops, but an appeals court halted that decision.
Breyer’s decision had focused on whether Trump violated a federal law that directs the president to issue orders through a state’s governor. This trial is focused on whether Trump violated a law, known as the Posse Comitatus Act, by using federal troops for civilian law enforcement….