Trump's National Guard Deployments Cost $1.1 Billion in 2026, CBO Estimates

Costs vary widely by location and troop levels, with Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles seeing the highest expenses.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:15pm

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According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, President Donald Trump's use of federalized National Guard troops in U.S. cities is projected to have cost roughly $496 million last year, and could cost as much as $1.1 billion this year if current troop levels are maintained. The deployments have faced legal challenges, with the Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked sufficient legal justification for sending troops to some cities.

Why it matters

The high costs of Trump's National Guard deployments to cities across the country have drawn criticism from lawmakers, who argue the funds could be better spent on other priorities. The legal battles over the deployments also raise questions about the president's authority to send troops into cities without clear justification.

The details

Monthly costs for the National Guard deployments vary widely by location and troop levels, ranging from about $6 million for 350 Guard members in New Orleans to $55 million for nearly 2,950 personnel in Washington, D.C. The largest share of costs last year stemmed from operations in Washington, D.C. at about $223 million, followed by deployments to Los Angeles at $193 million, which included active-duty Marines. Smaller missions took place in Memphis ($33 million), Portland, Oregon ($26 million), and Chicago ($21 million).

  • In 2026, the CBO estimates the National Guard deployments could cost as much as $1.1 billion.
  • In 2025, the deployments cost an estimated $496 million.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president who deployed federalized National Guard troops to cities across the country.

Jeff Merkley

The top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee who requested the CBO analysis.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

The nonpartisan federal agency that provided the cost estimates for the National Guard deployments.

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What they’re saying

“The American people deserve to know how many hundreds of millions of their hard-earned dollars have been and are being wasted on Trump's reckless and haphazard deployment of National Guard troops to Portland and cities across the country.”

— Jeff Merkley, Senator, Top Democrat on Senate Budget Committee

What’s next

The Biden administration will likely review the costs and legal justifications for any future National Guard deployments to cities, in order to avoid the issues that plagued the Trump-era deployments.

The takeaway

Trump's extensive use of the National Guard in cities across the country has come at a steep financial cost, with estimates of over $1 billion in 2026 alone. The legal challenges and questions around the president's authority to send troops to cities without clear justification have also raised concerns about the long-term impacts of these deployments.