Trump Withdraws National Guard from Major Cities
President Donald Trump has announced the removal of the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, marking a significant shift after several months of utilizing the force to address crime in these urban areas.
In a post on Truth Social, he stated, “We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland simply because the presence of great patriots in these cities has significantly reduced crime.” He further expressed, “If the federal government hadn’t intervened, we wouldn’t have Portland, we wouldn’t have Los Angeles, we wouldn’t have Chicago.”
However, Trump warned that military presence might need to return, predicting a potential rise in crime: “It’s only a matter of time before it spikes again!” He hinted that if troops were to be reinstated, it would likely be in a “much different and more powerful form.”
This decision to withdraw federal troops comes shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s appeal to maintain federal troops in Illinois for immigration enforcement. Leaders in the impacted cities, who are predominantly Democratic, have criticized Trump’s approach towards law enforcement since it began in Washington, D.C., last August, which has involved lengthy legal disputes.
Trump’s post concluded with a pointed remark: “It’s hard to believe that Democratic mayors and governors, all of whom are so incompetent, want us out, especially considering the great progress that has been made so far?”
Democratic leaders have been vocal on social media, celebrating the decreased federal law enforcement presence. California Governor Gavin Newsom remarked, “I admit defeat. We’ve said it since day one: The federal government’s takeover of the California National Guard is illegal.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass weighed in, stating, “Trump is walking back because there was no legal justification for sending troops into Los Angeles or cities across the country.” She emphasized the importance of constitutional considerations in this situation.
The National Guard typically operates under a state’s governor but can be utilized for federal duties at the president’s request. In early December, a federal judge ruled that California’s National Guard should return under Newsom’s control, halting the Trump administration’s deployment to Los Angeles.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker called out Trump, declaring that “Donald Trump has lied again. When Illinois stood up to Trump’s attempt to militarize America’s cities with the National Guard, he lost in court. Now he is forced to resign.”
Recent statistics from Chicago tell a different story: the city reported 412 homicides for the year, down nearly 30% from 573 in 2024. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson commented that 2025 had the lowest homicide count of the century, adding that the city hasn’t seen such low numbers since the mid-1960s.
To provide some context, Chicago recorded 395 murders in 1965. This translates to over one homicide per day, or around 11.4 per 100,000 residents. In 2025, the homicide rate stood at approximately 15.1 per 100,000.
Trump had initially sent the National Guard to Chicago in October. Analyzing police data from January to September shows an average of about 36 murders per month; however, this figure decreased to approximately 28 from October to December.
