Los Angeles Times Columnist Critiques Political Loyalty Amidst Minneapolis Unrest
Gustavo Arellano, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, has published a critique examining what he characterizes as a rising culture of extreme political subservience within the federal government. The commentary anchors its analysis in the recent fallout from events in Minneapolis, specifically the death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse killed by federal agents. Arellano argues that a faction of government officials and appointees has prioritized performative loyalty to President Donald Trump over professional independence, effectively rejecting objective reality to appease the administration.
The column highlights the actions of figures such as Bill Essayli, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, as a primary example of this dynamic. Arellano points to Essayli’s record—which includes reducing charges in excessive force cases and aggressively pursuing deportation-related prosecutions—as evidence of a judicial official reshaping their role to fit the President’s personal and political will. The “Minneapolis cements it” reference alludes to the administration’s steadfast defense of the federal agents involved in the Pretti shooting, a stance Arellano describes as an orchestrated effort to project strength regardless of the facts.
However, defenders of the administration and its appointees strongly dispute this characterization. From their perspective, officials like Essayli are not displaying blind subservience but are instead faithfully executing the President’s electoral mandate to enforce immigration laws and support law enforcement. Supporters argue that the administration is demonstrating necessary grit and resolve in the face of public disorder and that the criticism levels unfair attacks against public servants who are simply carrying out the policy directives of the executive branch. They contend that what critics call sycophancy is actually a cohesive government working toward a unified policy agenda.
latimes.com
latimes.com
