Exploring the history of presidents deploying the National Guard

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published June 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM CDT

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A protester confronts a line of U.S. National Guard in the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Eric Thayer/AP)

President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops despite the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom to quell protests over immigration raids in the city. The last time a president called in the National Guard without the governor’s approval was in 1965 during the Selma march.

Princeton historian Julian Zelizer joins us to discuss the history of National Guard deployments.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.