Unparalleled Move: General's Perspective on Trump's Unique National Guard Deployment in LA
Updated: June 10, 2025 at 9:27 AM CDT
President Trump stirred the pot again by announcing the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles during immigration protests. This action follows two chaotic days after an ICE-led cracksdown resulted in riots across cities like Minneapolis and Chicago.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed the move as unnecessary and aggravating tensions.
Trump's decision marks a significant departure from decades-long norms, being the first time the federal government activated National Guard troops without a governor's approval since the '60s—a monumental shift in protocol.
As the story develops, NPR's Morning Edition engaged former Democratic congressman, retired general, and ex-Illinois National Guard commander William Enyart to shed light on the constitutional and military implications of the situation.
Enyart, not mincing words, branded the use of National Guard troops to quell the protests as unprecedented, claiming, "They've thrown the entire playbook out."
Enyart spoke with A Martinez, addressing critical concerns surrounding Trump's use of the Guard, such as the suppression of local control, the absence of an imminent threat, and the politicization of military force on U.S. soil—issues that deserve our serious attention.
Here's a breakdown of the interview's key points.
How do laws governing the National Guard work in the real world?
Typically, the decision to deploy the National Guard originates from the ground up: Local officials determine if they're struggling to keep up, alert the governor, and then request soldiers.
Enyart explained that this system exists for a reason—local knowledge of the threat, resources, and community needs underpins these processes.
In Enyart's words, "[The process is] that the local chief executive, whether it be a mayor or a county supervisor, is the person who makes the decision whether local law enforcement is overwhelmed or not, and then that local chief executive notifies the governor of the state and requests that the National Guard be sent in."
By bypassing the local and state knowledge, Enyart insisted that "the President is imposing his political will here, not any kind of local knowledge as to what the situation actually is."
What can the National Guard be called upon to do?
Most National Guard troops are trained for natural disasters, not protests. Missions related to protest control are unpopular and often fall beyond their main role, putting added strain on the Guard.
Enyart pointed out that "The National Guard has been used for so many things over the last 30 years in Illinois, we were happy to be called out for blizzards, we were happy to be called out for tornadoes, we were happy to be called out for floods... But the Guard does not particularly like to be called in to do civil disturbance. Why? Well, we're not trained for it. At best, a National Guard soldier gets four hours of training a year to do civil disturbance operations."
What's the big deal about using the President's powers to protect federal officers?
While the President has the power to safeguard federal personnel, Enyart thinks this isn't the best use of National Guard troops, especially if local police can handle it.
Federal deployment without local consent disregards the chain of accountability built into domestic operations.
"You do not call the National Guard in until such time as local resources are overwhelmed or no longer able to control the situation, and you have the consent and the request of the local authorities, including the governor. Trump has entirely disregarded this," Enyart explained.
Is the scale of the protests a legitimate justification?
The administration cited the number of demonstrators as the reason for the deployment, but Enyart cast doubt on the threat level. Even if the number of protesters hit the hundreds, according to Enyart, that's no justification for activating military support in a bustling city like Los Angeles.
"Call it 600. Okay, 600 protesters is hardly a revolution. 600 protesters is not going to overwhelm the 8,000 police officers that Los Angeles has as well as all the federal folks who are on the ground. If local authorities need [military assistance], it should be up to the local authorities to request it," Enyart said. He also suggested that the deployment decision may serve as a distraction from other pressing issues.
"The President is doing this to remove the debate from his horrendous tax bill... and taking attention away from the fact that... soybean prices... were about $19.50 a bushel. Today, under Trump's tariff plan, they're $10.58," Enyart asserted.
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- The use of National Guard troops by President Trump to quell immigration protests in Los Angeles, without the approval of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, has sparked concerns over the suppression of local control and the politicization of military force.
- The typical process for deploying the National Guard originates from the local level, with officials determining if they are overwhelmed and requesting troops after notifying the governor. By bypassing this, the President allegedly imposes his political will, disregarding local knowledge of the threat, resources, and community needs.
- National Guard troops are trained for natural disasters more than protests, and activating them for civil disturbance puts added strain on the Guard, as most receive only four hours of training annually for such operations.
- The administration's justification for federal deployment citing the number of demonstrators as a threat is questionable, as hundreds of protesters would not necessarily overwhelm the resources available in a city like Los Angeles, and the decision may serve as a distraction from pressing issues like the economy.
