2,000 more National Guard troops on duty in L.A. as legal battle over deployment continues
NBCJUN 21
Trump Orders 2,000 More Troops to LA Amid Court Battle
Above: U.S. Marines and California National Guard stand guard outside the federal building complex in Los Angeles on June 17, 2025. Image copyright: Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Trump's ramped-up troop deployment is a completely reasonable response to protect federal buildings, given the LAPD's slow response to recent violent attacks on federal property. With several hundred troops per federal site, this isn't overreach but necessity. Liberal media's comparisons to Iraq and Syria deployments are misleading — it's time the military safeguards Americans at home.
Democratic narrative
Trump's troop deployments have been an overreach from the start, resulting in escalating tensions in a city where 98% of life remains peaceful. The "No Kings Day" protests showed vibrant, diverse communities rejecting his narrative. Liberal media isn't wrong — this is political theater, not protection, diverting troops from real needs like wildfire responses.