TRUMP pulls back National Guard from L.A. and other cities, NEWSOM claims win

Thursday, January 1, 2026 -President Donald Trump has announced a significant rollback of his controversial National Guard deployments in major U.S. cities, pulling federal troops out of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland after mounting legal and political challenges.

 

Trump framed the decision as a response to falling crime rates and insisted the federal presence had been effective, but added a stark warning that troops could return “in a much different and stronger form” if crime surges again. This announcement represents a major pivot in his national security and crime strategy as legal setbacks continue to undermine his authority to deploy Guard forces without state consent.

California Governor Gavin Newsom quickly seized on the moment as a political and legal victory, arguing that relentless court battles and constitutional scrutiny forced the federal pullback. Newsom’s administration successfully argued in federal court that Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard was unlawful, and the troops are now being returned to state control, allowing Guardsmen to rejoin their families and communities.

 

The broader legal defeats, including a recent Supreme Court decision limiting presidential authority to deploy troops domestically, have effectively neutralized Trump’s strategy in Democrat‑led cities.

The abrupt reversal has immediate implications for national politics and local governance. While Trump maintains that his tough stance helped reduce crime, critics from Democratic leaders and civil liberties advocates say the episode highlighted constitutional limits on executive power and reinforced state sovereignty.

 

As troops come home and legal disputes continue to unfold, the focus shifts to local law enforcement and community‑based solutions — and both sides are already gearing up to make this a defining issue in the months ahead.