Trump‘s deployment of National Guard Sparks Concerns Over Troop Morale and Legal Challenges
WASHINGTON – The deployment of the National Guard to cities across the United States, including Washington, Los angeles, and Chicago, under the direction of President Trump, is drawing criticism from opposition Democrats, military historians, and security experts. Concerns center on the potential damage to troop morale should the Guard be permanently mobilized domestically,as well as the legality of the federal intervention in cities governed by Democrats.
Prior to being sent to Washington, the National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles.Trump also announced the intervention of federal security forces in cities like Portland and Chicago.
William Enyart, a retired Major General of the illinois National Guard and former Democratic Congressman, warned against the misuse of the Guard, telling The Washington Post: “By misusing the national guard for a role for which it is indeed neither trained nor equipped, we only do damage.”
The US government now faces multiple legal challenges stemming from the military approach to Democratic-led cities. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker characterized the deployments as “Trump’s invasion.”
Historical precedent offers a cautionary tale. In July 1932, President Herbert Hoover deployed the military against World War I veterans protesting the delayed payment of promised war bonuses following the 1929 Economic Crisis. The incident resulted in casualties and is widely believed to have contributed to Hoover’s loss in the subsequent presidential election to Franklin D. Roosevelt. The operation in Washington was then led by future military leaders Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George Patton.
Experts also point to fundamental differences in training and approach between police forces,designed for domestic law enforcement,and the military,trained for warfare.
The current situation raises questions about the long-term implications of utilizing the National Guard in a domestic capacity and echoes historical instances where similar deployments proved politically damaging for the presidents involved.