How much power does the U.S. President have? Not enough, apparently, considering President Donald Trump said he could send anybody he wanted into our cities if and when he wanted to, and not even the courts could stop him.
This claim made by Trump was a hint at invoking the Insurrection Act to get what he wants and surpass court rulings on more deployment of military beyond the National Guard. It was an act passed in 1807; made to be a way for a President to send armed military forces into the country to “suppress rebellion, domestic violence or to enforce the law,” according to the Brennan Center for Justice. What atrocities our people are currently committing to require this is unknown, other than to Sir Pumpkin himself.
According to Britannica, the last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was during George H. W. Bush’s term in 1992 as a way to stop the Los Angeles Riots. Trump’s desire for more troops in cities doesn’t seem to be aimed at any specific riots or issues, never mind for a specific town, city or county that needs it.
There have been similar deployments of National Guard soldiers into cities under Title 32, examples of which include those in 2020 for additional manpower regarding the George Floyd protests and for the assault on the Capitol in 2021. Again: real issues.
According to PBS, it seems Trump has been glock-blocked by local courts in at least four cities: Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Memphis. Let’s talk about these cities.
According to The Global Statistics, Chicago’s amount of violent crimes up to July 2025 has had a 25%-30% decrease from 2024; Washington D.C. is at the lowest violent crime rate in 30 years as of 2024; Los Angeles’ violent crime rates from January to June 2025 have a 9% decrease from 2024.
Memphis is an exception, being the city in the U.S. known to have the highest crime rates; however, murder rates are currently at a six-year low and robbery is at a 25-year low, but the city still remains a crime hotspot.
Still, three out of these four cities seem not to need such desperate enforcement, considering the presence of National Guard troops already in these cities. Further troops from other branches of the military do not seem necessary nor under Trump’s authority, considering the last use of the act was for an actual breakdown of a city.
The Insurrection Act itself seems like something that is exclusively used during a time of crisis or emergency, not as a weapon or an addition to Trump’s fashion show styling his power. It can only be used if requested by a state’s governor or legislature unless the state fails, refuses or is unable to protect its citizens’ rights, according to PBS.
It’s a tool for emergencies, not a way to babysit. How long would the additional enforcement last? Without an emergency, there is no end or deadline to take troops back or send them to places where they’re actually needed.
With Trump’s denied attempts to put more military in cities, you have to wonder what his motivation is. Really, I believe it’s a show of power, a way to say “Hey, I have all of this military force in my back pocket, but I’m keeping it for myself.” It’s like a first grader showing off a cool rock he found. Is he ever going to use it for anything? No, but he just wanted to show everyone what he has for attention.
The president needs to grow up and finally work on real issues rather than showing off his rock collection in his new ballroom. If not, there’s always the possibility of another Impeachment. Third time’s the charm, and maybe we’ll kick him out this time.
Hayley Doda can be contacted at
hayley@kscequinox.com
