đĄď¸ RollingBoil Daily - November 03, 2025
You're waking up to a second Trump administration that isn't fumbling its way through governanceâit's executing a playbook written years in advance. Today's newsletter exposes the disturbing reality behind the National Guard deployments we're witnessing: these aren't reactive measures or chaotic improvisations. They're the culmination of careful planning by right-wing strategists who spent years preparing for exactly this moment. While Trump publicly muses about ignoring constitutional term limits and threatens the longest government shutdown in history, his administration is methodically deploying military force domestically in ways that should alarm anyone who values democratic norms.
The through-line connecting today's stories is the calculated expansion of executive power. From invoking the Insurrection Act to mobilize troops against immigrant communities, to openly discussing ways around the 22nd Amendment, to weaponizing budget negotiationsâeach move reveals an administration testing the boundaries of authoritarianism. This isn't governance; it's a stress test of our constitutional guardrails. The question isn't whether they have a plan. They do. The question is whether we're prepared to recognize it for what it is and respond accordingly.
Let's dig into what you need to know today.
⥠Quick Hits
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Trump Brags He Could Invade Your City Whenever He Wants
Trump claimed in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that he possesses broad authority under the Insurrection Act to deploy federal forces in US cities. The statement reflects ongoing right-wing discussions about executive power expansion and immigration enforcement, with potential implications for Republican policy positions on federal authority and immigration raids. -
Tariffs are Trumpâs favorite foreign policy tool. The Supreme Court could change how he uses them
This article analyzes Trump's unprecedented use of tariffs as a foreign policy tool in his second term and the upcoming Supreme Court decision on whether he has exceeded his legal authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The case represents a critical test of executive power expansion under the Trump administration, with potential implications for his ability to leverage tariffs across multiple policy domains including national security, trade negotiations, and geopolitical leverage. -
Trump approval at new low in second term: Survey
Trump's approval rating has declined to 37% according to CNN/SSRS polling, marking a new low for his second term. This metric is significant for tracking Republican political strength and potential impacts on GOP electoral prospects and party dynamics. The approval decline could influence Republican congressional support and intra-party positioning heading into future electoral cycles. -
Trump again blocked from sending troops to Portland
A federal judge blocked Trump's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Portland, representing a significant judicial constraint on Trump administration executive authority. This case reflects broader right-wing policy debates regarding federal intervention in cities experiencing civil unrest and the balance between executive power and judicial review. -
Supreme Court Confronts Trump and His Tariffs in Test of Presidential Power
The Supreme Court is addressing a significant legal challenge to Trump's tariff policies, testing the limits of presidential executive power. This case carries high political stakes as Trump has indicated he would view a court defeat as a personal affront, potentially influencing his administration's response to judicial decisions. The outcome will have substantial implications for executive authority within Republican governance frameworks. -
The Economic and Legal Case Against Trumpâs Tariffs
This article examines legal challenges to Trump's tariff policies before the Supreme Court, a central component of the Trump administration's economic agenda. The case has significant implications for presidential trade authority and represents a key policy battleground for the right-wing political movement. The outcome could reshape how future Republican administrations approach trade policy and executive power. -
An Anarchistâs Conviction Offers a Grim Foreshadowing of Trumpâs War on the âLeftâ
The article examines the Trump administration's prosecution and sentencing of anarchist activist Casey Goonan as an indicator of broader policy toward left-wing groups and movements. It frames the case as potentially foreshadowing more aggressive legal action against progressive and activist organizations under Trump's governance. The piece is directly relevant to understanding right-wing political strategy regarding opposition movements and law enforcement priorities. -
In Redistricting Battles, Hereâs How Trump, Republicans and Democrats Are Faring
Trump is actively pressuring Republican lawmakers to redraw congressional districts to prevent Democratic House control, demonstrating his continued influence over GOP strategy. The article highlights internal divisions within both parties regarding redistricting approaches, revealing tensions between Trump's electoral priorities and some Republicans' positions on the issue.
đ By The Numbers
- 33 days - Current length of government shutdown, approaching longest ever
- 42 million - Americans receiving SNAP food aid benefits at risk
- 37% - Trump's approval rating, a record low for second term
đ° Today's Big Stories
1. Trump's National Guard deployments aren't random. They were planned years ago
Trump's National Guard Deployments: A Long-Planned Strategy Comes to Fruition
What Happened
President Trump's recent deployment of National Guard troops for immigration enforcement isn't an impulsive reactionâit's the execution of a strategy that's been in development for years. The administration is now activating plans that Trump and key advisors have been openly discussing since before his second term, using military resources to facilitate mass deportations and potentially invoking the Insurrection Act to override local resistance.
Political Context and Key Players
This isn't just Trump's vision. Several officials now occupying senior positions in his administration have been workshopping these deployment strategies for years, likely through conservative think tanks and policy circles during the Biden years. The groundwork was laid in public statements, policy papers, and right-wing media appearances where these figures telegraphed their intentions to militarize immigration enforcement. This represents a coordinated effort by a network of ideologues who used their time out of power to blueprint an aggressive expansion of executive authority.
Why This Matters
The implications extend far beyond immigration policy. Using the National Guardâand potentially invoking the Insurrection Actâsets dangerous precedents for federal military intervention in domestic affairs, potentially overriding state and local authority. This militarization of civil enforcement blurs constitutional lines that have traditionally limited presidential power. Communities across the country, regardless of their immigration demographics, should be concerned about the normalization of military presence in civilian spaces and the erosion of federalism principles that protect local autonomy.
What to Watch
Monitor whether governorsâparticularly in blue statesâresist these deployments and how the administration responds to such resistance. Watch for any invocation of the Insurrection Act, which would represent a dramatic escalation. Pay attention to legal challenges working through the courts and whether Congress exercises any oversight. The coming weeks will reveal whether this administration faces any meaningful checks on its use of military force for domestic political objectives.
2. Trump's National Guard deployments aren't random. They were planned years ago
Trump's National Guard Deployments: A Long-Planned Strategy Now in Motion
What Happened: The Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops for immigration enforcement isn't a spontaneous response to border conditionsâit's the execution of a strategy that's been discussed and refined for years. President Trump and key figures in his current administration have been openly discussing plans to use the National Guard for mass deportations and potentially invoke the Insurrection Act since well before the 2024 election, and those blueprints are now being activated.
Political Context: This represents the culmination of planning by Trump's inner circle, who have spent years developing legal frameworks and operational strategies to militarize immigration enforcement in ways that previous administrationsâincluding Trump's first termânever fully implemented. The involvement of longtime Trump advisers suggests this isn't policy improvisation but rather a coordinated effort to test the boundaries of presidential authority over military deployment on U.S. soil. The Insurrection Act, a law dating to 1807, would give Trump sweeping powers to deploy active-duty military for domestic law enforcement with minimal oversight.
Why It Matters: These deployments set dangerous precedents for the use of military forces against civilian populations and could fundamentally reshape the balance between federal power and civil liberties. Mass deportation operations backed by military force risk humanitarian crises, family separations on an unprecedented scale, and the normalization of martial law tactics in immigrant communitiesâwhich could eventually expand to other populations deemed threatening by the administration. The economic disruption alone could be staggering, as industries dependent on immigrant labor face sudden workforce losses.
What to Watch: Monitor whether Trump formally invokes the Insurrection Act, which would mark a significant escalation. Pay attention to legal challenges from civil liberties organizations and resistance from governors who may refuse to cooperate with federal deportation requests. Watch for reports from affected communities and whether military personnel express concerns about these ordersâand how Congress responds to what amounts to domestic military deployment without their explicit authorization.
3. Trump's National Guard deployments aren't random. They were planned years ago
Trump's National Guard Deployments: A Long-Planned Strategy Coming to Fruition
What began as campaign rhetoric has crystallized into operational reality. President Trump has deployed National Guard units to assist with immigration enforcement and mass deportationsâactions that administration insiders reveal were meticulously planned years in advance. These aren't improvised responses to border conditions; they're the execution of a blueprint developed by Trump and key advisors during his time out of office, potentially including invocation of the Insurrection Act to use military forces against civilian populations.
The architects of this strategy represent a who's who of Trump's inner circle, officials who spent the post-2020 period gaming out how to circumvent legal and institutional guardrails that constrained the first Trump administration. This coordination suggests a level of premeditation that transforms what might appear as reactive policy into a deliberate stress test of democratic norms around military deployment on American soil. The involvement of figures now holding senior positions indicates this isn't fringe theorizingâit's official policy shaped by ideologues who view the military as a tool for domestic political objectives.
The implications extend far beyond immigration enforcement. Using the National Guardâand potentially active-duty military under the Insurrection Actâfor domestic law enforcement shatters post-Reconstruction precedents and risks normalizing military presence in civilian life. Communities nationwide, particularly those with significant immigrant populations, face the prospect of soldiers conducting raids and detentions. This militarization of immigration policy could embolden further uses of federal force against protesters, political opponents, or any group the administration deems threatening.
Watch closely for any formal invocation of the Insurrection Act, which would mark a dangerous escalation. Monitor legal challenges from states and civil liberties organizations, and pay attention to dissent within military ranksâservice members and commanders may resist orders they view as unconstitutional or improper uses of military power.
4. Trump wonât let the 22nd Amendment stop him and his ambitions for a third term
Trump's Third-Term Ambitions Test Constitutional LimitsâAnd Court's Willingness to Stop Him
Donald Trump continues to flirt with violating the 22nd Amendment's two-term presidential limit, raising alarm bells about whether the Supreme Court would actually enforce constitutional constraints against him. The former and current president has repeatedly "joked" about serving beyond the constitutional limit, testing boundaries that have held since the amendment's ratification in 1951âbut his track record suggests these aren't merely offhand remarks.
The political context is deeply troubling: Trump faces a Supreme Court he personally reshaped with three conservative justices, a Court that has already granted him extraordinary deference, including sweeping immunity for "official acts" while in office. Chief Justice John Roberts has led a Court that consistently prioritized conservative political outcomes over precedent, from gutting voting rights protections to overturning Roe v. Wade. The question isn't whether Trump would try to circumvent term limitsâit's whether this Court would actually stop him when the moment arrives.
This matters because constitutional guardrails only work if someone enforces them. With Trump back in power and emboldened by his Court victories, the 22nd Amendment could become another norm he bulldozes through while institutions shrug. For those concerned about democratic backsliding, this represents a five-alarm fire: a president who has already attempted to overturn an election he lost, now openly musing about ignoring the constitutional provision that would end his presidency, facing a Court that has repeatedly declined to check his power.
Watch for: Trump's continued "testing" of this boundary through increasingly serious statements, any legal theories his allies develop to justify extended tenure, andâcriticallyâhow Roberts and the conservative justices respond to future Trump overreach cases, which will signal whether any constitutional line remains they're willing to defend.
5. Government shutdown could become longest ever as Trump says he âwonât be extortedâ by Democrats
Trump Digs In as Shutdown Threatens to Break Records, Endangering Millions
The federal government shutdown is barreling toward becoming the longest in U.S. history this week, now in its 33rd day with no end in sight. President Trump declared on CBS's "60 Minutes" that he "won't be extorted" by Democrats, refusing to negotiate until the government reopensâwhile simultaneously demanding Senate Republicans eliminate the filibuster to ram through their agenda without Democratic input. The impasse has left federal workers facing missed paychecks, 42 million Americans uncertain about food assistance, and health care subsidies for millions set to expire, all while Trump posts mocking videos of Democratic leaders and creates satirical websites rather than engaging in serious negotiations.
The political standoff centers on Affordable Care Act subsidies that Democrats want extended before agreeing to reopen the government. Senate Democrats have voted 13 times against Republican funding bills, insisting on negotiations first, while Republicans demand five Democratic defectors to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome the filibusterâthe same procedural rule Trump now wants abolished. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders have repeatedly rejected ending the filibuster, knowing it protects them when Democrats hold power, but Trump continues pressuring them publicly, creating additional fractures within Republican ranks.
The human cost is mounting rapidly. Air traffic controllers are working without pay, causing flight delays that could escalate to full ground stops. The Agriculture Department initially planned to withhold $8 billion in SNAP benefits until federal judges intervened with emergency ordersâyet the administration continues slow-walking implementation while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cynically argues the "best way" to feed hungry Americans is for Democrats to capitulate. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged workers face impossible choices between feeding their families and reporting to unpaid jobs, while Republicans blame Democrats for consequences of their own legislative hostage-taking.
What's next: The shutdown is poised to surpass the 35-day 2018-2019 record that ended only when airport chaos forced Trump's retreat. Moderate Democrats are reportedly in talks with Republicans about potential compromises, but Trump's refusal to negotiate and his focus on eliminating the filibuster suggest he's more interested in partisan warfare than governance. Watch whether mounting crisesâparticularly around food assistance and air travel safetyâfinally force Republicans to break ranks, or whether Trump's strategy of blaming Democrats while Americans suffer will hold his party together through an unprecedented government collapse.
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