US President Donald Trump defended the use of National Guard forces in Washington, D.C. to combat crime and suggested the possibility of deploying them in other cities and states experiencing chaos. According to Axios, Trump’s federal campaign in Washington is unprecedented and comes months after a nonpartisan poll showed most Americans view their president as a ‘dangerous dictator.’ Trump said at a White House event: “They say we don’t need Trump… we don’t need the National Guard… Freedom, freedom… He’s a dictator… many say maybe we like the dictator… I don’t like dictators, I am not a dictator, I am a man with common sense and intelligence.” Trump signed an executive order assigning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to train a specialized National Guard unit dedicated to “ensuring public safety” in the capital, authorizing its members to enforce federal law.

The order also directs the Defense Secretary to ensure National Guard personnel in every state are trained and available to assist law enforcement in suppressing civil unrest and maintaining public safety and order, calling for rapid nationwide deployment. On the other hand, Democrats described Trump’s military deployment in local cities as authoritarian. Senator Ed Markey (Democrat) wrote on X: “Trump is trying to militarize our cities to distract from his declining popularity in polls. This is what dictators do; no one should remain silent in the face of this administration’s authoritarian actions.” California Governor Gavin Newsom, who often clashes with Trump, said on X Sunday: “Trump’s militarization of Los Angeles appears to be just the beginning of authoritarian control over American cities.” The report noted that the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits federal forces from participating in civilian law enforcement except when authorized by the Constitution or Congress.

However, under Title 32, the National Guard remains under state officials’ control but is paid by the federal government.