President Donald Trump has just pulled the plug on National Guard deployments in three major cities after a bruising Supreme Court smackdown.

The administration's plan to station troops in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland to tackle crime and support immigration enforcement has been scrapped following fierce opposition from Democratic leaders and a decisive legal ruling against Trump’s rationale.

Legal Battles Derail National Guard Plans

Earlier this year, National Guard troops hit the streets of Los Angeles, with hundreds positioned in Chicago and Portland with limited roles, briefly appearing at ICE facilities before legal challenges forced a pullback.

Democratic officials at the city and state levels in all three cities pushed back hard, filing lawsuits to block Trump’s orders, with lower courts stepping in to halt the deployments in several instances.

Then came the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling last week, declaring Trump’s justification for sending troops to Chicago insufficient—a major blow to the administration’s strategy.

Trump’s Response and Democratic Triumph

On Wednesday, Trump announced the end of these deployments, taking to social media with a mix of frustration and defiance.

“We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, even though CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,” Trump posted.

Let’s unpack that—while the president claims crime dropped thanks to the Guard, there’s no hard data here to back it up, and pulling troops now might just test whether local leaders can keep a lid on things without federal muscle.

Future Deployments Hang in Balance

Trump also teased a comeback, stating, “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!”

That’s a bold prediction, but with no clarity on whether deployments in other cities like Washington, D.C., or New Orleans will continue, it’s anyone’s guess what “stronger form” means for law-abiding citizens craving order.

Speaking of New Orleans, troops were sent there on Tuesday at the request of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry to bolster security for New Year’s Eve after a tragic ramming attack the prior year, showing some states still see value in federal support.

Democratic Leaders Claim Victory

Meanwhile, Democratic heavyweights like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are basking in the glow of this legal win, using their resistance to boost their national profiles—perhaps eyeing bigger political prizes down the road.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who sued to block the deployments, didn’t hold back, and while his stance may thrill progressive circles, it sidesteps the real question of how to address urban crime without federal help—a puzzle that won’t solve itself.