TRUMPISM, POLICING, AND THE PROBLEM OF SURPLUS POPULATION

Securitization and policing, racist exclusion, and repression were central features of Donald J. Trump’s ascension to the presidency. During summer 2016, when his election still seemed like a long shot to many, Trump was emphatic in his support for police. He seized on the fatal assault on police in Dallas, saying, “We must stand in solidarity with law enforcement, which we must remember is the force between civilization and total chaos” (J. Johnson 2016), echoing the core logic of the “thin blue line” that has animated US law enforcement since the Cold War. Trump led a chorus of conservative voices