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Trump, Donald

National Guard Troops Not Trained in Law Enforcement

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent proposal by President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops to combat crime in big cities has sparked concerns about the troops' training and preparedness for law enforcement roles. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who also heads the Wisconsin National Guard, has stated that Guard members are not trained police officers and are the "wrong people" to fight crime. An analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that National Guard troops generally receive no training in criminal procedure, unlike D.C. police, who receive 21 modules of training. Experts, including U.S. Naval War College professor Lindsay Cohn, have emphasized that while some Guard members may receive spot training in law enforcement, most are not equipped for such roles.

Key Takeaways:

  • National Guard troops are generally not trained in law enforcement, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  • D.C. police receive 21 modules of training in criminal procedure, while National Guard troops receive none.
  • Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has stated that Guard members are the "wrong people" to fight crime because they are not trained police officers.
  • U.S. Naval War College professor Lindsay Cohn emphasized that most Guard members are not trained in law enforcement, even though some may receive spot training.
  • Mark Cancian, defense and security senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, co-authored an analysis finding that the Guard's primary law enforcement training is crowd control.
  • National Guard troops are not trained to handle law enforcement roles, but may be used for crowd control and other non-law enforcement tasks.
  • The Milwaukee police union president has considered asking President Trump to send troops to Milwaukee, but experts have raised concerns about the troops' training and preparedness.

Statistics:

  • 21 modules of training in criminal procedure received by D.C. police (Source: [Center for Strategic and International Studies](#))
  • None: modules of training in criminal procedure received by National Guard troops (Source: [Center for Strategic and International Studies](#))
  • 1: The primary law enforcement training received by National Guard troops (crowd control) (Source: [Mark Cancian](#))

Sources:

  • NBC News: Trump suggests he could send troops to New Orleans in another crime crackdown (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-suggests-send-troops-new-orleans-another-crime-crackdown-rcna228841)
  • The White House: Restoring Law and Order in the District of Columbia (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/restoring-law-and-order-in-the-district-of-columbia/)
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police union leader says he's considering asking Trump to send Guard troops to the city (https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/02/milwaukee-police-union-chief-considering-asking-trump-for-guard-troops/85945141007/)
  • Center for Strategic and International Studies: Sending the National Guard into D.C. Is the Wrong Solution to a Crime Problem (https://www.csis.org/analysis/sending-national-guard-dc-wrong-solution-crime-problem?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
  • Email: Mark Cancian, defense and security senior adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Email: Lindsay Cohn, U.S. Naval War College professor and civil-military relations expert
  • WISN-TV: Gov. Evers: "I'm the head of the National Guard here in Wisconsin" (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XU-A-hTxAfQ)
  • Reuters: Explainer: What are US troops doing in Los Angeles? (https://ghostarchive.org/archive/6PlQ2)
  • Congressional Research Service: Defense Primer: Defense Support of Civil Authorities (https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF11324/IF11324.14.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
  • Gigafact: Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs (https://gigafact.org/fact-brief-quiz/wisconsinwatch)
  • Wisconsin Watch: Are National Guard troops generally trained in law enforcement? (https://wisconsinwatch.org/2025/09/national-guard-troops-law-enforcement-training-trump-milwaukee-crime-wisconsin/)

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