Trump Says He Is Prepared to Send ‘More Than the National Guard’ Into U.S. Cities

President Trump told American troops assembled in Japan on Tuesday that he was prepared to send “more than the National Guard” into cities to enforce his crackdowns on crime and immigration, further escalating how he has talked about using the military at home and abroad.

Speaking to thousands of military service members aboard an aircraft carrier at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan on Tuesday, Mr. Trump delivered a partisan speech that resembled the raucous rallies that made him an ascendant force in U.S. politics.

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“We have cities that are troubled, we can’t have cities that are troubled,” Mr. Trump said. “And we’re sending in our National Guard, and if we need more than the National Guard, we’ll send more than the National Guard, because we’re going to have safe cities.”

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In recent months, Mr. Trump began deploying National Guard troops to cities, mostly heavily Democratic ones, often over the objections of their local leaders, some of whom have launched legal challenges. He has called upon the military to help stop illegal crossings at the southern border and staff immigration facilities; guard federal property and personnel amid protests; and back sweeping crime-fighting efforts.

On Tuesday, he signaled that he was prepared to go further in deploying the military on American soil.

“We’re not going to have people killed in our cities,” he said. “And whether people like that or not, that’s what we’re doing.”

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