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Trump orders National Guard withdrawal from several US cities

Written by Liezl GambePublished Jan. 1 2026Last Updated Jan. 1 2026

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US President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of National Guard troops from several major US cities following a Supreme Court ruling.

Trump said troops would be pulled back from cities including Chicago and Los Angeles.

He made the announcement in a post on Truth Social on New Year’s Eve.

We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again.

Donald Trump said.

The decision followed a Supreme Court ruling last week that limited Trump’s authority to deploy troops for domestic policing.

The court ruled that the president could not use National Guard troops for law enforcement duties in Chicago.

Trump’s statement also referenced Portland, Oregon, where troops had previously been deployed.

Washington DC was not included in the announcement and troops remain on patrol there.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Trump administration withdrew its legal effort to retain control of troops in Los Angeles.

The administration also dropped a motion in California courts seeking to override state authority.

Trump’s original deployments targeted several Democratic-led cities.

The moves triggered multiple legal challenges questioning presidential authority.

National Guard troops are typically commanded by state governors rather than the federal government.

Hundreds of troops had been sent to Chicago and Portland earlier this year.

Those troops had not yet begun active street patrols due to ongoing court cases.

Trump has argued the deployments were necessary to combat crime and illegal immigration.

Critics said the deployments were unnecessary and politically motivated.

Opponents accused Trump of pursuing authoritarian tactics that threatened democratic norms.

The Supreme Court ruling in Trump v Illinois rejected federal authority over local policing.

The ruling effectively blocked troop use in Chicago.

California Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed the administration’s legal retreat.

This admission by Trump and his occult cabinet members means this illegal intimidation tactic will finally come to an end.

Gavin Newsom said.

Newsom described the withdrawal announcement as politically defensive.

This is the political version of ‘you can’t fire me, I quit.

Gavin Newsom said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also praised the Supreme Court decision.

He said the ruling showed presidential overreach was a threat to democracy.

There is at least another branch of government that recognises that the overreach by the president is a real threat to our democracy.

Brandon Johnson said.