Gabby Bonds
Elm Staff Writer
President Donald Trump recently expressed plans to deploy the National Guard to multiple cities across the country after his self-proclaimed victory over violent crime in D.C. However, his desperate attempt to exert control over various U.S. cities through the unlawful deployment of the National Guard is a stark demonstration of just how fragile his power over the country actually is.
According to The BBC, prior to the National Guard deployment in D.C. on Aug. 11, crime levels had actually been falling, with the number of violent offences committed hitting their lowest level in 30 years in 2024 following a peak in 2023.
Deploying the National Guard to prevent crime in cities where crime rates are already dropping is a grotesque waste of resources and confirmation that the deployment was never about managing crime, but about seizing control.
“Trump’s occupation of D.C. is a blatant power grab that is prelude to a nationwide authoritarian sweep of blue cities,” American novelist and journalist Garrett Epps said to Washington Monthly.
In response to reaching the end of the 30-day emergency D.C. occupation, Trump threatened to deploy the National Guard in additional cities across the United States, specifically Baltimore, Chicago, and New Orleans, according to NPR.
Rather than combating crime, Trump’s threat is obviously another strategy in his overall agenda to persecute minority groups throughout the U.S., including Latin Americans and the LGBTQ+ community. This persecution is not natural and therefore must be enforced through excessive control, as seen through the National Guard deployment.
“For Trump, it’s about testing his power and producing a political drama to cover up his corruption. We are ready to fight troop deployments in court, and we will do everything possible to ensure that agents operating inside the confines of this state do so in a legal and ethical manner,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said to NPR.
Trump’s threat of National Guard deployment in Baltimore even raises concerns regarding the well-being of students on campus, considering Washington College’s proximity to the scene. In such unprecedented times, it is important that students remember to prioritize their mental health by utilizing the resources available to them.
“As someone who has served overseas in uniform and is commander-in-chief of the Maryland Guard, I take how, when, and why we deploy members of our armed forces personally and seriously. These actions by the president lack both data and a battle plan. He is simply using honorable men and women as pawns to distract us from his policies, which continue to drive up unemployment and strip away health care and food assistance from those who need it most,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.
If Trump’s legitimate intentions were to prevent crime throughout the U.S., he would follow the lead of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
According to NPR, Scott immediately implemented a plan to tackle violence through community-based efforts after taking office in 2021.
His targeted interventions have been successful.
The result has been a 22% decline in homicides, a 19% decline in non-fatal shootings, and the lowest homicide rate in 50 years, according to National Urban League.
However, rather than investing in proven solutions to reduce violence, President Trump is putting on an unabashed display of power in an attempt to silence resistance, a strategy that U.S. citizens cannot allow to succeed.
While the Republican Governor of Louisiana supports the deployment of the National Guard to New Orleans, both the Democratic Governors of Illinois and of Maryland are strongly opposed, according to NPR.
Considering the extremity and lack of rationale behind deploying the National Guard, state representatives need to stand up to Trump and protect the best interests of the citizens they represent, even if it means jeopardizing their reputation.
Photo Caption: President Trump announces plans to deploy National Guard in major U.S. cities after D.C. test-run.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.