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President Donald Trump has ordered Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to establish specialized National Guard units in every US state.
Getting into it: The executive order, signed on Monday, directs the Defense Department to create and maintain “quick reaction forces” within each state’s Army and Air National Guard, trained specifically to assist in quelling civil disturbances and enforcing public order. These units will be resourced, organized, and maintained for rapid deployment not only within their home states but potentially nationwide, at the president’s discretion. Although they are being specially trained and equipped for this mission, these units will still be part-time soldiers unless mobilized, with most continuing to work civilian jobs and train only on a limited schedule. They remain under the command of their state governors unless federalized.
The order also mandates the formation of a dedicated National Guard unit in Washington, DC, which can be activated under Title 32 of the US Code (allowing the president to maintain control without violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits active-duty military from performing domestic law enforcement functions).
Some warn that deploying military forces for policing functions undermines constitutional protections and infringes on states’ rights. Others argue the order lacks clear operational guidance and is more performative than practical, while others say it lays the groundwork for federal overreach and normalization of military presence in civilian areas. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has denounced the initiative as politically motivated and un-American, noting that crime rates in cities like D.C. and Chicago have actually declined.
Trump, however, argues the executive order is both necessary and overdue. He says that Democrat-led cities are in crisis due to weak leadership and surging crime, and claims the federal government has a duty to step in when local officials fail to protect their communities. Pointing to deployments in D.C. and Los Angeles, Trump insists that the presence of Guard troops has led to lower crime and restored public safety.
He’s also suggested the Guard is “ready to go anywhere” and could be deployed without waiting for state approval, saying, “We may just go in and do it.”
