America's brave National Guard troops should be training, or they should be living their lives at home, prepared for whatever serious deployment lies ahead – not spreading mulch at Trump's whim.
Rex Huppke
USA TODAY
... About 2,000 soldiers from across the country are in Washington, DC, to help battle a crime wave that Trump fabricated. Violent crime in the District of Columbia was already down considerably before the president did anything, and now some of the National Guard troops – patriots who have jobs and homes and families they were pulled away from for this deployment – are spreading mulch and picking up trash in our nation’s capital.
One Guard member told The Washington Post: “I think it’s nice, as a DC resident. But there are different things we could be doing” ...
The spectacle of soldiers wearing yellow and orange reflective vests over camo fatigues – yes, this actually happened – is a testament to the absurdity of Trump’s dictatorial stumbling. Simply put, he’s using National Guard troops to do whatever he wants, from getting Americans used to seeing a military presence in the streets to any light gardening the president might desire. He has no concern for the men and women in uniform or for the vital role they play in responding to actual crises ...
... these soldiers – all dutifully following orders – are being used as high-priced labor to compensate for National Park Service cuts the Trump administration made earlier in the year ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/08/28/trump-national-guard-picking-up-trash-dc/85853498007/
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