It began with the echo of hooves and the sharp pop of rubber rounds against pavement. A city already frayed at the edges, its people aching from tension and despair, became a stage for power. Protesters had gathered—some with chants, some with tears, some with nothing but a silent presence—but they were met not with questions or compassion, but by mounted police who drove them back through the heart of Los Angeles, cracking the air with intimidation rather than law. On the surface, it looked like order being restored. Beneath, it was something else entirely. There was no room for nuance here. The president had made his move. And in that move, the line between federal oversight and outright occupation blurred into something far more dangerous.