Pentagon Plan Would Create Military 'Reaction Force' for Civil Unrest

The Trump administration is evaluating plans to create units composed of hundreds of National Guard troops tasked with rapidly deploying into U.S. cities facing protests or unrest, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing internal Pentagon documents.

The "Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force" plan calls for 600 troops, split into two groups of 300, to be on standby at all times so they can deploy in as little as one hour, the Post reported.

The troops would be stationed at military bases in Alabama and Arizona, the documents showed.

A Defense Department official refused to confirm the report in a statement to Newsmax.

"The Department of Defense is a planning organization and routinely reviews how the department would respond to a variety of contingencies across the globe. We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise," the official said.

The report came a day after President Donald Trump announced he was taking federal control of the police department in Washington, D.C., and insinuated that five other cities could face a similar effort from his administration, Newsweek reported.

Trump said the attempt to address crime and homelessness would "go further" than D.C., as he specifically named Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Oakland, California.

Trump's willingness to employ the armed forces on American soil relies on a section of U.S. Code that allows the commander in chief to circumvent limitations on the military's use within the United States, the Post reported.

The "Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force" documents, although marked predecisional, are comprehensive and address potential societal implications of such a program.

The documents, bearing time stamps as recent as early this month, were compiled by National Guard officials.

The Post reported the plan could begin in fiscal year 2027 if funded through the Defense Department's traditional budgetary process. It was unclear whether the initiative could begin sooner through alternative funding.

National Guard commands currently have fast-response teams for use within their home states. The "Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force" proposal would entail moving troops from one state to another.