President Donald Trump just pulled the plug on National Guard deployments in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland after a string of courtroom defeats.
This dramatic turn comes after state officials successfully argued that the federal takeover of their Guard units was an unlawful overstep of authority.
Let’s break it down: Trump initially sent the Guard to these cities to tackle what he called runaway crime threatening public safety.
California, Illinois, and Oregon pushed back hard, filing lawsuits claiming the federalization of their National Guard was a clear violation of state rights.
Federal judges sided with the states, blocking the deployments and returning control to local leaders in key rulings.
One such decision specifically ordered the Guard in Los Angeles back under the command of Gov. Gavin Newsom, a major blow to Trump’s strategy.
Trump insists the Guard’s presence drove down crime significantly, pointing to safer streets as proof of federal effectiveness.
In Chicago, homicides hit a historic low with 412 murders recorded by late 2025, down from 585 the previous year.
Yet, tensions flared elsewhere, with Portland facing heated anti-ICE protests and Los Angeles grappling with violent unrest tied to deportation policies targeting criminal unauthorized migrants.
State and local leaders, from governors to mayors, hailed the court rulings as a win for the rule of law while slamming Trump’s approach as heavy-handed.
On Truth Social, Trump fired off: “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.”
Sure, Trump’s claiming credit for the drop in crime, but isn’t it convenient to ignore local policies or community efforts that might have played a role?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t hold back on X, stating, “About time @realDonaldTrump admitted defeat.”
Newsom’s victory lap aside, one has to question if state leaders are too quick to dismiss any federal contribution while they celebrate their courtroom triumph.
Trump, never one to back down, cautioned that if crime surges again, the federal government might return “in a much different and stronger form,” a parting shot that leaves the door wide open for round two.
