Trump Administration Plans Expand National Guard Domestic Deployment, Raising Legal Concerns
WASHINGTON – Newly reported Pentagon planning documents reveal the Trump administration is preparing to establish dedicated National guard “rapid reaction forces” capable of rapidly deploying to American cities, escalating an already unprecedented expansion of the military’s domestic role. The move comes as the administration faces legal challenges over prior deployments to cities like chicago and Portland, Oregon, and amid concerns about the potential for the national Guard to be used for political purposes.
President Trump has already substantially broadened the domestic use of National Guard troops, sending soldiers to Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Portland, even defying a federal court order in the latter case. Many of these deployments occurred despite objections from state leaders, with Trump authorizing troops from one state to operate in another. Current deployments in Chicago and Portland are paused pending litigation; a Supreme Court ruling in favor of Trump, as analyzed by Vox, could effectively transform the National Guard into “Trump’s personal army.”
This planning builds on a pattern of Trump’s expressed desire to utilize the military against American citizens. reports indicate he previously asked if soldiers could “just shoot” racial justice protesters, and recently stated he could “send the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. I could send anybody I wanted” into American cities, referencing the Insurrection Act.
The administration’s existing National guard deployments already represent a significant extension of domestic military force.The Pentagon’s new plans suggest a further normalization-and potential escalation-of this trend.
