Trump’s National Guard Deployments Are a Costly Misuse of Our Military
For the past several weeks, more than 2,000 National Guard soldiers have been stationed in Washington, DC, with Trump also expected to deploy troops to Chicago in the days ahead. These deployments follow earlier actions in Los Angeles, which cost taxpayers more than $100 million.
Although framed as support for crime-fighting, the reality is that these deployments have drained time, resources, and morale, harming the very troops Trump claims to support. Here’s how:
Financial Burden on Taxpayers: Trump’s deployment of the National Guard is a staggering waste of taxpayer dollars.
Los Angeles: The 60-day deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles earlier this year was expected to cost about $134 million.
Today: With more than 2,000 troops deployed as of September 3rd, the current deployment in D.C likely costs more than $1 million per day.
Impact on National Guardsmen: With no end in sight, National Guardsmen have been required to make serious personal sacrifices to join Trump’s enforcement efforts in Washington. Many soldiers left behind civilian jobs and families to serve on an explicitly partisan mission.
Morale: Reports indicate that Trump’s deployment is damaging morale by pulling Guardsmen into politicized activities unrelated to their core mission. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner warned that “the president is driving a wedge between the people and the military.”
Family Impacts: Deployments separate Guardsmen from their homes for weeks or months. One mother in Mississippi noted her daughter has missed “a lot of first events with her child” while serving in Washington. Many families must also scramble for childcare and take on new financial burdens during these absences.
Reduced pay: Deployments often mean a pay cut for many Guardsmen while they’re away from their civilian jobs. Small business owners or self-employed Guardsmen often face the steepest financial hits, since they may lose clients or contracts while away.
Jeopardized Promotions: Deployments can disrupt required training and coursework, delaying eligibility for promotion. For Guardsmen, that means Trump’s Washington mission may not only cost them time with family and income. It could also stall their careers.
Misuse of Federal Resources: The Guard is trained for natural disasters and national security missions, not policing America’s streets. When troops are deployed to police cities, they aren’t available for crises where they’re needed most. That leaves communities less prepared for natural disasters and makes the nation less secure overall.
Disaster response: The National Guard has a unique and invaluable role to play in the event of emergencies like hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and more. Each year, the Guard clears thousands of miles of roads, removes tons of debris, and distributes millions of meals to families in need. Pulling units for prolonged law-enforcement-style patrols risks slower disaster response and fewer ready forces as we enter peak hurricane and wildfire seasons.
Military readiness and training: Every moment these guardsmen spend picking up trash or “beautifying” Washington is a moment where soldiers aren’t preparing for warfighting or domestic emergencies – the tasks these brave men and women signed up for. Diverting these resources undermines readiness and makes our nation less safe.
Published: September 2025