In a significant reversal of domestic security policy, former President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of National Guard troops from multiple American cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles. This decision comes directly after a Supreme Court ruling last week that curtailed presidential authority to utilize military forces for domestic law enforcement purposes.
The administration formally abandoned its legal efforts to maintain control over troops deployed in Los Angeles earlier this Tuesday. This legal surrender follows the Supreme Court’s landmark decision which explicitly blocked the use of federal troops for policing activities in Chicago, establishing a critical precedent on the limits of executive power.
Mr. Trump announced his controversial decision via his Truth Social platform on New Year’s Eve. In his statement, he issued a stark warning, suggesting a potential return of military forces ‘in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again,’ framing the withdrawal as a temporary tactical retreat rather than a permanent policy change.
The announcement specifically cited deployments in Portland, Oregon, but notably omitted any mention of the capital. National Guard troops remain actively deployed on patrol duties in Washington D.C., indicating a selective and strategic application of the withdrawal order rather than a comprehensive national disengagement.