Less than five months into his second term, President Donald Trump faces a test of his presidency: how to handle the riots in Los Angeles.
The way Trump manages this event could shape the rest of his presidency.
You’ve probably seen the photos and videos of burning cars and Mexican flags, and you may have read some of the explosive rhetoric about it.
Let’s be clear about it what’s really going on: rioters and their supporters don’t want Trump to enforce our immigration laws. It’s that simple.
A real leader has to make difficult decisions. But in so doing, he also forces others to face similar choices.
“Latino activists” for example: are they siding with their “community,” or are they aligned with the United States of America? The question is that simple.
Latino activists have been coddled and encouraged to promote the idea that Hispanics have different interests than other Americans.
Is that true?
If it is, maybe we should spell out those differences. Perhaps all Americans have a say in our nation’s future.
On the other hand, if Latinos maintain the same interests as other Americans, what’s the big deal? Treat them like anybody else.
As for the Mexican flags being brandished in the riots, this ought to make things crystal clear for the public.
It’s currently being tolerated @camhigby for footage https://t.co/t6hf93mWZC pic.twitter.com/VsQNXlQ2uu
— Wid Lyman (@Wid_Lyman) June 9, 2025
These flag-bearers are presenting Trump with a great gift: they are showing the public where their real loyalties lie.
Here they are demanding their rights in the U.S. while waving a foreign flag!
If their Mexican identity is so important to them, they ought to live in Mexico. No hard feelings. Go be the best Mexican you can be and make Mexico a better country!
Or do they wave the Mexican flag because they feel like conquistadors, taking Los Angeles for Mexico?
Either way, their use of the Mexican flag clearly shows us they are not on our side.
President Trump needs to address the American people and lay out the situation. Trump should speak clearly, calmly, and firmly.
He should explain that these riots are attacks on American sovereignty and the rule of law.
He should declare to the American people that this insurrection, and any like it, will not be tolerated.
He should explain that all non-American citizens involved in these riots will be deported, whether they are legal or illegal.
Of course, American citizens breaking the law need to be prosecuted for their crimes.
Trump should explain that these lawbreakers are being prosecuted not for their political beliefs, but for their crimes, and anybody who says otherwise is deceiving the public.
A brief history lesson would also be in order.
He should explain to the public that we’re in this situation thanks to countless politicians from both parties who have allowed and enabled illegal immigration and labor for decades. Additionally, cheap labor profiteers and ethnic chauvinists deserve their share of the blame.
But he should make it clear that those days are over: from now on, immigration policy should promote the good of the American people and laws will be enforced.
After this address to the nation, President Trump must crush this uprising and put our nation on a firm footing for the future.
If Trump does all that, he could go down in the history books as a great American president.
This article was written by Allan Wall for Border Hawk, and is republished by The Noticer with permission. You can find more of Allan Wall’s work at his website and Mexico News Report.
Header image credit: Cam Higby (X).
