USD496M Spent on Trump's National Guard Deployments
President Donald Trump authorized the troop movements during his second White House tenure, dispatching forces to numerous Democrat-controlled municipalities. Los Angeles saw personnel arrive amid demonstrations against immigration enforcement sweeps. In Washington, DC, troops were positioned to combat street crime and homelessness crises. Memphis received reinforcements for public safety operations and crime mitigation efforts. Portland and Chicago witnessed federal personnel protecting government facilities during enforcement actions—some ultimately halted through judicial intervention. Late-year deployments to New Orleans proceeded with state authorization for public safety assistance.
The CBO reported that each service member costs approximately $260 daily, accounting for compensation, benefits, accommodation, food, transit, and operational logistics. At current deployment rates, 2026 expenses could surge to $93 million monthly.
This extended domestic National Guard utilization for crime control, demonstration management, and immigration enforcement assistance represents an extraordinary deployment magnitude—surpassing even the 2020 nationwide mobilization following George Floyd's killing.
Multiple operations, including those in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, concluded by late December 2025 after legal opposition and Supreme Court restrictions, though Washington, DC, Memphis, and New Orleans deployments continue.
Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley condemned the expenditures as "weaponizing taxpayer money for unlawful control" and demanded immediate cessation of the deployments.
The CBO clarified its calculation encompasses solely direct military activation and operational support expenditures, excluding budgets from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or additional federal departments.
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