Critics are accusing President Donald Trump of assaulting America's democracy after he commandeered the National Guard and deployed Marines to California amid mostly peaceful protests against immigration raids. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a cabinet member’s press conference in his state of California and handcuffed after trying to ask a question. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History at New York University, joins The Weekend to discuss how similar actions played out in autocratic regimes throughout history.

Among the backdrop of Trump's military parade, thousands of "No Kings" protests are expected today -- two of the protest organizers slam Trump's threat of heavy force against protesters. Plus, there's growing concerns about the politicization of the U.S. military after uniformed soldiers cheered and booed in reaction to the President's political statements at a speech at Fort Bragg. Retired Army Lieutenant General Steff Twitty, Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Rob D'Amico, and the WSJ's Nancy Youssef join The Weekend.

After a week of military escalation in Los Angeles, President Donald Trump prepares to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S Army with a parade in Washington, D.C. Americans across the nation plan to counter this celebration with a “No Kings” protest. However, Trump warns that protesters in Washington “will be met with very heavy force”. Representative Jamie Raskin joins The Weekend to discuss the importance of the nearly 2,000 protests that are scheduled today.