In a recent New York Times piece, David French sounded the alarm:

“[The Administration] will shout ‘Insurrection!’ and ‘Migrant invasion!’ to justify more military control and perhaps the invocation of the Insurrection Act.”The last time this happened was when King George III sent redcoats marching into Boston in October 1768 and we know how that ended.

The Insurrection Act’s dangerously vague language gives the president sweeping authority to deploy troops domestically—with little oversight. Donald Trump has openly lamented not using more force in 2020 and, according to reports, his allies are preparing plans to invoke the Act early in a second term.

The last time troops were deployed to suppress a restive populace under a crown's command, it was October 1768. King George III sent redcoats marching into Boston. We know how that ended.

Dispatching troops onto American streets would not be an act of public safety—it would be a calculated show of force meant to stifle dissent. It would be a disproportionate response to a crisis Trump has manufactured for just this purpose. He wants to confuse protest with rebellion, to crush the spirit of liberty by branding peaceful resistance as insurrection.

We must not be cowed. Now is the time to raise our voices—not lower them.

Back in 1768, when the British soldiers arrived, there was no insurrection. But eight years later, the forcible imposition of troops on civilians appeared among the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence.

We should remember that. And prepare.