4:00President Donald Trump offers remarks during a function to inscribe executive directives, at the White House, in Washington, October 6, 2025. Kent Nishimura/Reuters
In recent times, President Donald Trump has escalated his intent to send National Guard forces into U.S. cities — with Chicago and Portland, Oregon, representing the most current instances.
Distinct from the utilization of the National Guard either upon the command or plea of a state’s chief executive, Trump has aimed to federalize the Guard against the desires of the governors of Illinois and Oregon. And in each situation, Trump is attempting to send National Guard personnel from different states.
As per U.S. regulation, the Guard can be summoned to active service by a president in scenarios such as aggression by a foreign nation, revolt against the federal authorities or an inability to uphold federal statutes. But upon doing such, forces are restricted to defending federal buildings and federal staff unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act, which he has not undertaken.
President Donald Trump addresses members of the press on the South Lawn of the White House after disembarking Marine One in Washington, October 5, 2025.Graeme Sloan/EPA/Shutterstock
Explanations from the administration have differed, ranging from curbing crime to safeguarding federal structures and Immigration and Customs Enforcement procedures to assertions that protesters are endeavoring to "overthrow the government." State and local representatives have countered the administration’s depictions of circumstances on the ground, implying the troop deployments are merely a facade for a "power grab" and an element of an "authoritarian advancement."
'War zone'
On Wednesday, Trump seemed to echo his prior declarations concerning employing the National Guard for crime deterrence purposes in cities such as Chicago, a city that he has portrayed as a "war zone."
"They've experienced 60, 70 murders over a concise timeframe," Trump expressed on Wednesday.
"Chicago's an exceedingly perilous city," Trump included.
Violent crime in Chicago has declined notably in the initial half of the year, according to formal statistics published by the city, with shootings decreased by 37% and homicides diminished by 32% relative to the first half of 2024, as indicated by crime figures.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president's determination on Monday to deploy the National Guard into Portland and Chicago, stating "anarchists" have been "disrespecting law enforcement" and "inciting violence" at the ICE facility in Portland.
"We witnessed a guillotine presented in front of this federal edifice. The president aspires to guarantee that our federal constructions and our assets are protected. And that's precisely what he's endeavoring to accomplish," Leavitt conveyed during a press briefing on Monday.
"You individuals are framing this as though the president desires to assume control of the American cities with the military. The president desires to aid these local leaders who have been entirely ineffectual in securing their own cities," Leavitt communicated to the media.
Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor, presented what seemed to be a contrasting rationale on Monday, stating demonstrators are "attempting to overthrow the core law enforcement role of the federal government."
"This embodies the textbook explanation of domestic terrorism, employing the precise impending menace of violence to prevent federal personnel from executing their duties," Miller articulated on CNN.
Local executives, conversely, persisted in objecting to the administration's justifications and the administration's portrayals of aggression in their cities. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared on Wednesday that Trump's actions "constitute an endeavor to occupy and instigate cities and states that do not align with his politics" and she articulated she believes that "we ought to anticipate him to sustain pushing the boundaries of his authority."
On Sunday, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden shared a video on X displaying "a picturesque Sunday in Portland."
"Farmer’s markets, the Portland Marathon, amicable demonstrations, and certain vistas of Mt. Hood. This city is dynamic, tranquil, and adaptable. We do not require a federal occupation, and we assuredly do not desire one," Wyden declared.
Trump's 'war from within' rhetoric
In what certain individuals perceived as an unexpected statement, Trump last week informed an audience of top American military high command that there existed a foe already on U.S. land.
"It's a war originating from within," the president proclaimed. "We're undergoing invasion from within."
He has since continued to elevate the rhetoric concerning purported aggression in Portland and Chicago, articulating recurrently that Portland is "burning to the ground," and that Chicago is the "murder capital of the world."
"It's insurrectionists all over the place," Trump expressed recently concerning Portland.
Over the weekend, the administration rendered the determination to deploy roughly 200 National Guard personnel from California to Portland to commence safeguarding federal edifices, a U.S. official conveyed to ABC News. The provided justification was to protect ICE agents and other federal employees and safeguard federal property.
Police and federal officers hurl gas canisters to scatter protesters near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Ore., October. 5, 2025.Ethan Swope/AP
However, a federal magistrate later articulated the administration’s endeavor to deploy members of the California National Guard to Portland was in "direct contravention" of a court directive that concluded the conditions in the city were "not substantially violent or disruptive" to validate a federal seizure of the National Guard after she had obstructed deployment of the Oregon National Guard on Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, contended that the president’s allegations concerning the city were "simply unrelated to the realities."
In response to Immergut’s verdict, Trump proclaimed it’s "too unfortunate I appointed that judge" and that he "wasn’t served adequately by the individuals that selected judges."
On Monday, Leavitt termed the judge "unrelated in reality."
Miller termed Immergut’s determination "legal insurrection," articulating the president "is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, not an Oregon magistrate" and that local law enforcement has "declined to assist ICE offices confronting incessant terrorist assault and menaces to life."
"This constitutes an organized terrorist onslaught on the federal government and its officers, and the deployment of troops is an absolute imperative to defend our personnel, our laws, our government, public order and the Republic itself," Miller articulated in a post on X on Saturday.
The Trump administration appealed Immergut’s directive from Saturday to the Ninth Circuit, which briefly revoked a lower court’s directive impeding the deployment of Oregon National Guard troops to Portland on Wednesday — however, the directive prohibiting any state’s National Guard from entering the city remains in effect.
Both Portland’s mayor and the state’s governor emphasized they did not request the troops and objected to Trump’s action.
Similarly in Chicago, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday pushed back on the Trump administration’s determination to federalize 300 members of the state’s National Guard and deploy them to Chicago — a determination that is creating a "war zone," according to Pritzker.
"He’s stating that Chicago is a war zone. None of that is accurate. They’re merely fabricating this. And then what do they? They discharge tear gas and smoke grenades, and they make it appear as though it’s a war zone," Pritzker appended.
Tear gas fills the air after it was used by federal law enforcement agents who were being confronted by community members and activists for reportedly shooting a woman in the Brighton Park neighborhood on October 4, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois.Scott Olson/Getty Images
In a memo to Secretary Pete Hegseth on Oct. 6, Trump did not mention lessening crime as a justification for dispatching the guard to Chicago, instead stating "federal facilities in Illinois…have undergone coordinated assault by violent groups intent on obstructing Federal law enforcement activities."
On Wednesday, after Trump expressed Pritzker "should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers," the governor termed the president "demented" and "so insecure that he lashes out pretending that he can come arrest people for no reason at all."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson articulated on Tuesday that Trump is "intentionally instigating chaos."
"Donald Trump declared war on Chicago. That’s what he did. What the Trump administration is doing is intentionally fomenting chaos," Johnson stated on Tuesday.
Secretary Kristi Noem posted a video shared on X on Saturday, displaying law enforcement in military attire raiding residences and detaining individuals, with the caption stating "Chicago, we’re here for you." The Homeland Security chief has additionally criticized Pritzker for "actively working against law enforcement" and has termed Chicago a "war zone."
Alongside posting videos of law enforcement in Chicago, Noem additionally made a prominent visit to an ICE facility in Portland on Tuesday, a location that has constituted the site of nightly demonstrations over the administration’s immigration crackdown for multiple months.
Trump, while celebrating the Navy’s 250th anniversary onboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush on Sunday, expressed Pritzker "thinks it’s wonderful when 50 people in a short period of time were murdered in Chicago, over 200 people were hit."
"And accordingly, we send in the National Guard," he proclaimed.
Trump expressed it "required 12 days to resolve the issue" in Washington, D.C., in August, and his administration is "going to accomplish that in Chicago" and "we’re going to accomplish that in Portland."
On Monday, the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit seeking to obstruct Trump’s federalization and deployment of the National Guard, articulating there is "no insurrection in Illinois."
"There is no insurrection in Illinois. There is no rebellion in Illinois. The federal government is capable of enforcing federal statute in Illinois. The manufactured essence of the crisis is evident," according to the 69-page complaint.
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Selina Wang and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
