EPISODE · Oct 7, 2025 · 12 MIN

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

from Trump's Terms

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities such as Portland, Ore., and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration. NPR's Jaclyn Diaz and Juliana Kim report.Then, NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul about President Trump's efforts to deploy National Guard forces to Chicago, over state and local objections.Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy