On October 29, 2025, President Donald Trump made headlines by asserting his authority to deploy U.S. military forces, beyond just the National Guard, into American cities if he deems it necessary. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his trip to Asia, the president emphasized that not even the courts would be able to prevent him from doing so. Despite this assertive claim, Trump clarified that such measures have not been necessary up to this point.
During his visit to the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo earlier in the trip, President Trump informed U.S. troops that he was prepared to send “more than the National Guard” into domestic cities if the situation warranted it. When pressed by reporters about whether he meant sending branches of the military such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines into U.S. cities, Trump referred to his ability to “enact a certain act” routinely. This was an apparent reference to the Insurrection Act, a federal law that grants the president authority to use military forces in a law enforcement capacity to suppress rebellions or domestic violence. This law has not been invoked by a U.S. president in more than three decades.
President Trump stated, “I’d be allowed to do whatever I want,” adding that “the courts wouldn’t get involved, nobody would get involved,” and that he could send any branch of the military into U.S. cities. However, he quickly qualified this by saying that such drastic action has not been necessary because the situation is currently under control. He praised the deployment of the National Guard in cities like Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, asserting that their presence is successfully driving down crime.
The Trump administration has generally deployed the National Guard to cities governed by Democrats. This approach has sparked legal challenges, with cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., along with states including Illinois, California, and Oregon, filing lawsuits against the administration over the National Guard deployments.
The use of the military for domestic law enforcement is generally restricted by the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the federal military’s authority to perform law enforcement functions on American soil. However, there are exceptions to this act, one of which is the Insurrection Act that President Trump referenced. Geoffrey Corn, director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law, explained in an email to CBS News that the Insurrection Act is “very rarely used” and authorizes federal military forces to act in a law enforcement role during situations such as rebellions or insurrections.
Historically, the last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was in 1992. Then-Governor Pete Wilson of California requested assistance from President George H.W. Bush to quell the Los Angeles riots, which erupted after a jury acquitted four white police officers who had been videotaped assaulting Rodney King, a Black motorist. These riots caused widespread destruction and loss of life, prompting the use of federal troops to restore order. According to legal experts, for the president to deploy federal military forces domestically under the Insurrection Act, either a governor must request federal assistance or the president must invoke the act to enforce federal law.
In the case of Washington, D.C., President Trump deployed National Guard troops under a section of federal law known as Title 32. This legal designation allows National Guard members to operate with federal funding but remain under state control, meaning they are not subject to the Posse Comitatus Act restrictions. The D.C. National Guard has previously been deployed under Title 32 status during significant events, including the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd and the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. In both instances, the deployments were made in response to requests from the D.C. government for additional law enforcement support.
President Trump’s comments come amid ongoing debates about the role of military forces in domestic security and law enforcement, particularly in cities experiencing unrest or high crime rates. His willingness to consider deploying active-duty military personnel into U.S. cities marks a significant stance, as such action carries legal and political implications and raises questions about the balance between federal authority and states’ rights.
The National Guard deployments and potential military interventions are part of the administration’s broader law enforcement strategy, especially in Democratic-led cities where officials have criticized the federal government’s approach as heavy-handed or politically motivated. The lawsuits filed by several states and cities reflect these tensions and highlight