Recommendations of the Editorial team
Donald Trump always wanted his own private army. A group of armed men (and he would like to be men) whom he can use to silence critics, intimidate opponents and generally enforce his will by threatening violence. All autocrats he admires have such forces. Vladimir Putin has the FSB, Recep Erdogan Die Sadat, Viktor Orbán the TEK.
Trump’s executive order and their dimension
Already during his first term, Trump threatened to social media with the fact that “cops, bikers and soldiers” provide for violence on his name. He could not overcome himself to condemn the Proud Boys during the TV debates in 2020. And although himself confidently confidante him and his children asked him to recall the insurgents on January 6, he looked at chaos on TV for more than three hours before intervening hesitantly – not without pronouncing his love beforehand.
Against this background, Trump signed an executive order with the title “Additional Measures to Address the Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia” (the capital letters come from him). Even if the order is primarily concerned with the takeover of the police force in Washington, there is an instruction to Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, “a constant National Guard quick-maker group that is equipped, trained and available for the rapid nationwide use”.
This group should be “with the support of federal, state and local authorities to suppress unrest and to ensure security and order”.
The executive order provides for 600 soldiers who can use Trump at the push of a button anywhere in the country – especially for the suppression of protests and civil resistance. The fact that this is hidden in an order that is supposed to act against everyday crime suggests a much further intention.
Military as a police?
The National Guard is not a police. It is a military organization that normally is subject to governors. Soldiers are not trained to dissolve demonstrations, to monitor roads or to punish small offenses. In the United States there is a long tradition to keep the military away from internal police work. This is exactly why constitutional additives No. 2, 3 and 4.
Trump, on the other hand, sees soldiers and police officers as interchangeable because both wear weapons. This dangerous misjudgment was as early as 2020 when he wanted to use the military to violate the George Floyd protests-if necessary with firearms. First Defense Minister Mike Esper and general staff Mark Milley stopped him. Both accused Trump later of the “betrayal”.
A federal judge recently decided that Trump’s use of the California National Guard in Los Angeles versed without the consent of governor Newsom against the Posse Comitatus Act. Nevertheless, the White House is now trying to use loopholes about agreements with Republican governors such as Greg Abbott (Texas) – for example by using Texas troops in Chicago, against the will of the governor there.
Elite troops as a danger
Trump is using “Crime Suppression Units”, which already provided scandals in many US cities. Such units are often granted special rights – which leads to violence, corruption and abuse. Tyre Nichols was beaten up by such a unit in Memphis. In the 1990s, the notorious “Death Squad” group existed in Los Angeles, which resulted in $ 125 million in compensation. New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia or Newark also had similar scandals.
It is particularly questionable that Trump entrusts Pete Hegseth with the structure and leadership of this group. Hegseth is considered a hardliner, glorifies “deadliness”, defended several war criminals and staged Trump as “sovereign” ruler.
Loyalty instead of law
The National Guard consists of sub -time soldiers who often come from their home countries and could be rather inclined to refuse illegal commands. But with Hegseth at the top, the selection should result in Trump-Loyale forces. It is already clear that courts could intervene-but even then Trump would probably set up alternative units with ICE, border patrol or FBI officials.
The congress recently approved additional billions for personnel structure in these authorities. ICE already reduced his training drastically to 47 days – supposedly a “coincidence” that it is exactly Trump’s presidential number.
Democracy in danger
Already in the 1980s it was the Pentagon itself that prevented the use of regular troops inside. “We do not let the army, navy, air force and Marines act as a police. Countries that act are sunk into chaos,” warned General Stephen Olmstead in 1989. Recently repeated General ad Randy Manner this warning: “Military is trained for killing, not for police work. That should scare every American.”
Trump and Hegseth have set everything to displace such voices from the Pentagon. It is to be hoped that not all critics have been removed.