Trump Pulls National Guard from Chicago, LA and Portland

Did federal troops save cities from crime, or was their deployment an unconstitutional overreach and ineffective?

2 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

Trump Pulls National Guard from Chicago, LA and Portland

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Above: Members of the Texas National Guard arrive at the Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, Illinois, on Oct. 7, 2025. Image credit: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

Crime plummeted in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland only because National Guard troops stepped in to save cities that had already gone before federal intervention. These Democrat-run cities made great progress under Guard protection, yet local officials demanded their removal without a clear plan for sustaining these improvements. The withdrawal guarantees crime will soar again in these war-ravaged areas.

Donald Trump on Truth Social New York Post

Democratic narrative

Trump's illegal military takeover of state National Guard troops violated federal law and the Constitution, as confirmed by the Supreme Court's rejection of his authority. Federal troops cannot perform routine policing under the Posse Comitatus Act, making these deployments unlawful intimidation tactics. The deployments never reduced crime because judges blocked troops from patrolling the streets.

Governor Newsom Press Office on X Democracy Docket