Colorado Politics reports that Trump’s latest executive order creates specialized National Guard units trained for “public disorder issues.” After deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., the White House has floated similar interventions in “sanctuary cities” like Denver.
That set off alarms from Mayor Mike Johnston, who blasted the idea as “dangerous” and vowed to sue if Guard troops land in Denver. Legal experts note Trump can federalize the Guard in certain emergencies, but he has “absolutely no legal authority” to federalize Denver police. Governor Polis signaled he’d resist any effort to pull Colorado’s Guard away from fire response or other state missions.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Trump ordered new National Guard units for handling “public disorder,” sparking talk of deployments to sanctuary cities like Denver.
- Denver Mayor Mike Johnston promised to sue “on day one” if Trump federalizes Guard troops in Denver.
- Legal experts say Trump cannot federalize Denver police, though he could try to commandeer the Colorado National Guard.
- Polis said pulling Guard members from firefighting or state emergencies would endanger Coloradans, a fight he’s ready to pick with D.C..
- Chicago’s mayor already moved to block similar federal action after Trump called his city “the worst in the world” following a violent holiday weekend.
My Bottom Line
No doubt, the President’s authority is very different in Washington, D.C. than in Denver. And while I don’t think Trump has the legal power to federalize Denver police, he does have the power to federalize the National Guard – a fight Polis would relish. But let’s be real: this isn’t about public safety. This is politics, pure and simple.
Democratic mayors like Johnston would rather thumb their noses at Trump than accept help reducing crime in their cities. Imagine that. The President offers resources to make your streets safer, and the mayor’s first instinct is to lawyer up. That tells you everything. These cities are failing their citizens, and instead of solutions, they cling to politics-as-performance.
Trump knows his base eats this up. He looks like the law-and-order guy while Dem mayors look like petty obstructionists. The people stuck in between? Regular citizens who just want to walk their neighborhoods without dodging bullets or fentanyl needles.
