The White House is reportedly considering a Pentagon plan that would create a National Guard-led rapid response force to quell civil unrest in major American cities.
According to a Washington Post report from Tuesday that cited internal Pentagon documents, the plan would create a Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force composed of 600 National Guard troops. The guardsmen would be on standby at all times and could be deployed in a matter of hours, the report says.
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the report, and the Defense Department hasn’t publicly acknowledged the plan.
The force would be split into two groups of 300 troops, with one division stationed in Arizona and the other in Alabama. The eastern force would be responsible for responding to cities east of the Mississippi River, while the Arizona force would respond to Western regions.
According to the report, the plan is under discussion and was modified this month. The documents, first compiled by U.S. National Guard officials, assert that fiscal 2027 is the earliest the plan could be finalized. The documents also report the plan could cost hundreds of millions of dollars due to the use of military aircraft for transport.
If adopted, the plan would be a departure from how National Guard commands traditionally operate. While most of the Guard has rapid-response units within home states, they’re typically not tasked with moving beyond state lines.
The documents also address many of the consequences of creating a civil disturbance reaction force, including reduced availability for other missions, budgetary strains and possible legal issues. Using the National Guard to contain or otherwise quell political protests in large cities could compromise its position as a politically neutral organization, the documents suggested.
The proposed plan follows President Trump’s decision to mobilize 800 D.C. National Guard troops on Monday. The president said they will assist law enforcement in fighting violent crime in the capital.
In June, Mr. Trump authorized the deployment of 5,000 National Guardsmen and active duty Marines to Los Angeles to thwart attacks on ICE agents.
