Staff Reports
On his radio show this week, Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow dropped a line that should make every city council member sweat: he said a Chinese propagandist was “literally running a city in America.” The comment was aimed at the reported case out of Arcadia and the broader worry that Beijing’s influence operations have moved from think tanks and campuses into the halls of local government. If true, this is not a trivia item — it is a national-security red flag that deserves blunt answers.
Why the Arcadia allegation matters: Chinese influence and local government
Local governments are supposed to be close to the people. They are also easy targets. Town halls, sister-city programs, cultural events, and funding routes can be used to push politics without ever showing a uniformed agent. That’s why Marlow’s “tip of the iceberg” line hits a nerve. Even if the Arcadia case is still being sorted in the press and in courts, the basic question is simple: how many other local officials have ties to entities that answer to Beijing?
Soft power, hard problems
Beijing prefers soft power: money, access, and influence. Those tools can change votes, bend policy, and re-shape how communities talk about China. This isn’t academic. It is about who sets zoning priorities, which monuments get funding, and what local schools teach about history and the world. If foreign influence can steer those choices, it changes who governs us — quietly and effectively.
What must happen next: investigations, transparency, and common-sense reforms
First, state and federal investigators should follow the money and the messaging. Local watchdogs need teeth to audit contracts, grants, and foreign funding. Second, FARA and similar disclosure rules should be enforced at the municipal level so residents know when an outside power is trying to shape policy. Third, political parties and voters should demand transparency from candidates about foreign contacts and sponsored trips. If a mayor took money, made deals, or promoted a foreign government’s talking points, voters deserve to know before the next election.
Alex Marlow’s blunt phrasing may smell like cable-news hyperbole to some. But the core point is sober and simple: America should not wake up one morning and find that a foreign power has worked its way into the engine room of local government. Call it vigilance, common sense, or plain patriotism — whatever you call it, the response should be faster than the bureaucracy that brought us this headline. If Arcadia is indeed the tip, it’s time to ask how deep the iceberg is — and who’s been steering the ship.
