Trump denies being a dictator as he threatens new National Guard deployment
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President Trump signed an executive order Monday that puts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in charge of training a specialized D.C. National Guard unit dedicated to "ensuring public safety." Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump on Monday defended his use of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to crack down on crime while floating the possibility of deploying them elsewhere.
The big picture: Trump's federal crackdown on Washington, D.C., is unprecedented, coming just months after a nonpartisan survey found a majority of Americans view him as a "dangerous dictator."
Driving the news: Trump signed an executive order Monday that puts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in charge of training a specialized National Guard unit dedicated to "ensuring public safety" in D.C.
- "They say: 'We don't need him. Freedom, freedom, he's a dictator,'" Trump said at a White House event, suggesting deploying the National Guard in Chicago next.
- "A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator," Trump added. "I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person."
The other side: Democrats have been characterizing Trump and his deployment of military to domestic cities as authoritarian.
- "Trump is trying to militarize our cities — all to distract from his sinking poll numbers," Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote on X on Saturday. "It's what dictators do. No one should be silent in the face of this administration's authoritarian actions."
- "Trump's militarization of Los Angeles seems to have been just the start of an authoritarian takeover of American cities," California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who frequently spars with Trump, said on X on Sunday.
Trump's long-held grievances with D.C. reached a tipping point this month, when he declared a crime emergency.
- He has mobilized about 2,000 National Guard personnel, with some being authorized to carry firearms.
Reality check: Trump has pinned his actions to crime and homelessness in D.C., but data suggests that violent crime in the city has dropped in recent years.
- Homeless advocates have objected to federal law enforcement's removal of dozens of homeless encampments due to limited beds.
State of play: Trump's executive order instructs officials to "deputize the members of this unit to enforce Federal law."
- Hegseth was also directed to ensure that each state's Guard personnel are trained and available to assist law enforcement in "quelling civil disturbances and ensuring the public safety and order."
- It also calls for the National Guard to be trained and available for "rapid nationwide deployment."
Yes, but: The Posse Comitatus Act largely bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement except in cases specifically authorized by the Constitution or Congress.
- Under Title 32, however, the Guard is still being controlled by state officials but being paid by the federal government. That exempts them from the Posse Comitatus Act, per the Brennan Center for Justice.
Go deeper: Trump on dictator accusations: "I just know how to stop crime"
