Trump Issues Warning as National Guard Troops Withdrawn From US Cities

President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland on December 31, 2025, but warned federal forces would return if crime rates increased. The deployment had been a controversial policy throughout 2025, with troops sent to Democrat-controlled cities to combat crime and immigration issues. Legal challenges blocked deployments in Chicago and Portland, while troops in Los Angeles were already pulled back after a court ruling earlier in December. Trump claimed crime had been 'greatly reduced' by the presence of National Guard troops, despite evidence showing many were never deployed to streets due to injunctions. The president threatened to return 'in a much different and stronger form' when crime 'begins to soar again.' The deployments faced opposition from local governments and federal courts, with challenges in Washington DC, Oregon, and Chicago.