President Donald Trump has once again demonstrated that he is willing to take bold, decisive action to restore order and protect American sovereignty—even when political insiders and former allies like Mike Pence try to cast doubt on his motives.
Over the past week, the President deployed nearly 5,000 military personnel, including 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines, to Los Angeles in response to intensifying protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
The protests, organized under the increasingly radicalized “No Kings” movement, spiraled into chaos in several parts of the city, prompting Trump to do what Democratic leaders refused to: take back control of the streets.
But as Trump stood firm in the face of unrest, former Vice President Mike Pence took the opportunity to publicly criticize the President’s actions, exposing once again why his political career has floundered ever since his departure from the White House.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday, Pence accused Trump of hypocrisy, citing the President’s decision to pardon select individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol protest while simultaneously authorizing a robust law enforcement response in Los Angeles.
Pence’s comments, though delivered with his signature feigned moral superiority, did not go unnoticed by Trump supporters, many of whom view the former Vice President as a man who abandoned the America First movement when it mattered most.
Attempting to score political points with the very media establishment that once vilified him, Pence told CNN that "we cannot stand by while people in the midst of protests assault law enforcement officers," before bizarrely pivoting to his disapproval of Trump’s January 6 pardons.
The contradiction was not only obvious but humiliating: Pence condemned Trump for protecting ICE officers while criticizing him for defending the rights of January 6 protestors—many of whom were nonviolent and acting on their convictions about election integrity.
This is the same Mike Pence who, during his time as Vice President, loyally stood beside President Trump and praised his policies on immigration and law enforcement.
Now, in a desperate attempt to regain relevance, Pence has turned into yet another cardboard cutout of the Washington establishment—a man clinging to outdated notions of political civility while real leaders like Trump confront the realities of a nation under siege by far-left radicals and violent mobs.
President Trump’s decision to deploy troops came after repeated failures by California Governor Gavin Newsom to maintain order. With protests escalating and reports of vandalism, assaults, and disruptions to federal operations, Trump stepped in with the full force of the executive branch.
Despite objections from Newsom and other progressive officials who seem more concerned with protecting illegal immigrants than upholding the law, Trump made clear that the federal government would not allow cities to descend into lawlessness.
In what can only be described as judicial overreach, a federal judge in San Francisco briefly paused Trump’s troop deployment on Thursday. However, that decision was swiftly overturned by a federal appeals court, which issued a one-page ruling allowing the presence of military forces in Los Angeles to continue through the weekend.
A further hearing on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday, but Trump’s supporters are already hailing the decision as a victory for common sense and national security.
Images from the ground in Los Angeles paint a picture of organized chaos, with mounted police patrolling smoke-filled streets and ICE agents being escorted by heavily armed Marines.
Protestors threw objects at federal officers, lit fires, and blocked roadways—hardly the peaceful assembly that the left-wing media loves to portray. Trump’s actions, far from being excessive, were necessary. He did what any responsible leader would do: defend the men and women tasked with enforcing U.S. law.
Yet Pence, in his predictable eagerness to please CNN viewers and corporate donors, equated Trump’s use of force in Los Angeles with political violence.
This is the type of false equivalence that has come to define Pence’s political downfall. It’s not leadership—it’s cowardice dressed in rhetoric. While Trump faces the fire and fights for law and order, Pence lectures from the sidelines, offering platitudes with no solutions.
Adding to his confusing moral compass, Pence took time during the same interview to lob criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the Kremlin’s use of Iranian drones in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“We ought to be looking elsewhere than Vladimir Putin for advice,” Pence declared, as though Trump had ever looked to Putin for guidance on anything.
Once again, Pence’s remarks served no strategic purpose—they were merely an attempt to appeal to hawkish commentators who no longer consider him relevant.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to maintain a clear-eyed view of America’s priorities. In addition to addressing domestic unrest, the President is managing international crises with a firm hand.
After Iran launched missiles at Israel in retaliation for what was described as a preemptive strike by the Israeli government, the U.S. responded by helping Israel intercept and destroy the incoming threats.
While the Biden administration in years past might have hesitated, Trump did not. He reaffirmed America’s commitment to its allies and refused to let adversaries dictate terms on the world stage.
Although details of U.S. involvement remain classified, White House sources confirmed that the military assisted Israel in neutralizing Iranian missiles.
This action is part of a broader strategy to ensure Middle East stability while protecting American interests. Pence’s attempt to shift the conversation toward Russia and Ukraine felt disconnected and irrelevant in the context of immediate threats posed by Iran—further proof that he is no longer in touch with the geopolitical landscape.
Trump’s boldness, both at home and abroad, stands in stark contrast to the wavering posture adopted by Pence and other fence-sitting Republicans who speak loudly but carry no stick.
At a time when the country needs strength, conviction, and fearless leadership, Trump has proven that he is the only one willing to step up. Whether deploying troops to defend ICE officers or standing with allies like Israel in times of crisis, he acts with clarity and decisiveness.
The outrage among the media and political class about Marines being used to protect federal agents is deeply revealing. What are they afraid of? That law enforcement might actually do its job?
That American cities might once again become safe for law-abiding citizens? That ICE might be able to carry out deportations of individuals who have broken the law without being harassed by violent mobs?
The reaction says more about the state of modern liberalism than it does about Trump’s decision-making. The left has become so unhinged that even defending federal law is now considered controversial.
As for Mike Pence, his moment has come and gone. His criticisms of Trump are not grounded in principle but in political insecurity. He is the embodiment of what many Americans despise about Washington—the moral grandstanding, the hollow speeches, and the endless desire to be liked by the media. Trump, by contrast, has never cared for their approval. He has always cared about the American people.
The events in Los Angeles this week are a sobering reminder of the challenges the nation faces. But they are also a reminder that leadership matters. Trump didn’t wait for permission. He didn’t wait for political consensus.
He took action. And in doing so, he reaffirmed his place as the only leader in American politics today who is both willing and able to do what must be done.
Mike Pence can keep talking. He can keep making his rounds on CNN and whispering sweet nothings to the donor class. But the country has moved on. Trump is doing the hard work of governing while Pence is stuck rewriting history.
And history, as it turns out, won’t be kind to those who sat on the sidelines when the battle for America’s future was being fought in real time.
