National Guard troops still patrol non-state Washington D.C. after President Trump announced the end of deployments (or attempted deployments) in Chicago, Portland and Los Angeles.
“We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,” Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday, adding: “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!”
“A much different and stronger form” seems to be a worrying reference to the Supreme Court ruling that prompted the pull-out. An unsigned majority ruled late last month that the statute governing National Guard occupation should actually be interpreted as a backstop to active duty soldiers — that the Guard can only be deployed if those soldiers, likely deployed under the Insurrection Act, are “unable” to “execute the laws of the United States.” It’s an interpretation most notably advanced in an amicus brief by Georgetown Law Professor Marty Lederman; courts had previously operated under the assumption that the Guard could be called in as backup to civilian officers.
The obvious question following the ruling is whether Trump will invent some premise to invoke the Insurrection Act — something he’s been eager to do since his first term — escalating his hostility towards Democrat-led cities by flooding them with active duty troops.
For now, the administration is conceding the brunt of its effort to force the Guard on states that don’t want them. On Tuesday, Trump’s Justice Department told the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that it would not fight for a stay of a lower court order to return the Guard to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) control.
Washington D.C. is still fighting the Guard occupation that began over the summer. A district court judge gave D.C. a win in November, ruling that the administration had overstepped its authority and risked creating a “permanent” incursion of troops. The administration appealed to the circuit court, which stayed the lower court ruling in early December. The three-judge panel is a friendly one for Trump, who appointed two of its three members.
Guard deployments continue in other blue cities too, but ones in red states where the governors have welcomed their presence. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R), a Trump ally, asked Trump to send the Guard in the fall, and approximately 350 of them will reportedly remain in the city through Mardi Gras. Another deployment continues in Memphis, though state and local Democratic lawmakers have sued to end the occupation.
In NOLA until through Mardi Gras, eh? Might that depress attendance? By locals as well as tourists?
Apropos of nothing, I have always believed that sparklers should never be used indoors.
Brilliant move! Already destroying the international hospitality industry, Trump decides to destroy the domestic hospitality industry as well.
OT but in reference to Josh’s AI post, from the great Terry Pratchett "Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign of it saying “End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH”, the paint wouldn’t even have time to dry.”
Besides, Trump has cast his baleful gaze elsewhere:
More here:
(Anyone else noticing how leaking his administration is gwtting?)
Obligatory photo.