Trump Tries To Normalize Having National Guard Troops In American Cities

Interview
Written By David Petri

Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.)

HuffPost

Aug 26, 2025

President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in response to a supposed “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital could be a warmup for troops patrolling other American cities.

In an executive order on Monday, the president outlined plans for a “specialized unit” within the D.C. National Guard for fighting crime in the capital, plus similar units in every state, along with “a standing National Guard quick reaction force” available for quick deployment nationwide.

Randy Manner, a retired major general and former acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, said Trump is deploying armed National Guard soldiers to further his authoritarian political ambitions.

“It will intimidate the population and desensitize Americans to the fact that it’s normal for uniformed, armed military to be in our streets,” Manner, now with a group called National Security Leaders for America that warns of threats to democracy, told HuffPost in an interview.

David Petri

Dave Petri is a marketing and sustainability professional with 30 years of leadership experience across multiple industries. Since 2010, Dave’s professional experience has primarily been in the Outdoor Industry, including industry-wide leadership roles. He launched Cynosura Consulting in 2019 and is the principal consultant, providing his expertise to various companies and organizations in the manufacturing, hospitality, and event management sectors.

https://www.cynosurallc.com
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