Trump Deploys the National Guard

Ava Cai

August 22, 2025

On August 11, Trump enforced a public safety emergency and ordered tens and hundreds of National Guard troops to take the streets of Washington, D.C., to investigate and respond to the capital’s crime, which is described as “out of control.” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with other city leaders, confirmed that D.C. is not experiencing a spike in crime, and as a matter of fact, crime rates have been at an all-time low over the last 30 years. Nevertheless, President Trump moved forward with his agenda and recently said to arm the troops in the area.

It’s safe to say that the Trump administration has taken state security into its own hands—having already deployed the national guard to Washington, D.C., President Trump plans on doing the same for Chicago and New York City. New York Governor Kathy Hochul describes Trump’s military campaign in the state as an act that significantly backtracks the state’s efforts in fighting crime.

In the Oval Office during a press conference, the president spoke on his current decisions regarding increased military presence: “African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘Please, President Trump, come to Chicago—please.’ I did great with the Black vote, as you know, and they want something to happen.” In response, the city said the administration had not formally communicated with them about the military plans, and that his approach is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound.  

This is not the first time that the president has dispatched or attempted to dispatch national troops to other states. Earlier this year, California sued the administration for seeking to commandeer the California National Guard to help with immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles. Although Washington, D.C. is under federal authority because it does not have statehood, the National Guard troops in other states are under state authorities. In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “This is a preview of things to come—if you think this is about California, you are fooling yourself. These are operations you are going to see all across the United States of America. They’ve tested the boundaries of the law. They’ve tested the boundaries of public perception and what the public will accept.”

California was an attempt, Washington, D.C. was a success, and Chicago and New York are only starting points—President Trump continues to praise the National Guard for their hard work and his campaign by promising to deploy more federal troops at other locations to “make it safe also.”