Explainer

Why Trump’s Use of Military in US Is So Controversial

The White House past members of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. President Donald Trump threatened that prosecutors would seek the death penalty for anyone found guilty of murder in Washington, DC, a move that would escalate his crime crackdown in the nation's capital.Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

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By Peter Blumberg and Jamie Tarabay

September 12, 2025 at 4:09 PM UTC

President Donald Trump has repeatedly deployed the US military for domestic assignments. In June, he summoned the Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles — over the objections of local leaders — to subdue protests against his administration’s mass arrests of migrants. And in August, Trump called up the Guard to combat violent street crime in Washington, DC.

The president has repeatedly suggested he will extend the campaign to other cities. “We’re going to Memphis,” Trump said on Sept. 12, adding that he believes the city is “deeply troubled.” Trump has also discussed plans to deploy troops to Chicago and New York City.