Trump Orders National Guard Units for Domestic Law Enforcement

story

Above: U.S. National Guard on patrol at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25, 2025. Image copyright: DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

story last updated

The Spin

Republican narrative

What should be a shining beacon of American exceptionalism, Washington, D.C., is instead a city beset by out-of-control violence and crime. The deployment of the National Guard, along with the president's creation of a new specialized unit, is necessary to guarantee the safe and peaceful functioning of the federal government and America's future prosperity.

Trump White House

Democratic narrative

Trump's executive orders are not about building a safer America, but instead part of a disturbing and unconstitutional effort to transform the country into a totalitarian police state. Taking inspiration from past dictators, Trump is using false claims of rampant crime to wield institutional powers to silence dissent, whether in Washington, D.C., Chicago, or anywhere in America.

The Forward