Is President Trump working to build his own personal army?
By Amy Goodman and Radley Balko, Democracy Now!
Investigative reporter Radley Balko responds to Trump’s new executive order for a “standing National Guard quick reaction force” that the president can deploy at will. Trump has “always expressed envy for dictators and authoritarians overseas who have forces that they can deploy to do their own sort of personal bidding, whether it’s putting down protests or going after political opponents,” says Balko, who calls the order “a really dangerous development.”

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe
Recent Posts
As Security Council Stalls, There Are Other Ways to Stop U.S.-Israeli War on Iran
March 3, 2026
Take Action Now A “Uniting for Peace” resolution in the UN General Assembly can counter the Security Council’s failure to act.By Marjorie Cohn,…
States Can Block the Paramount-Warner Deal
March 3, 2026
Take Action Now But thanks to some clever maneuvering, they are already running out of time.By David Dayen, The American Prospect What started as…
Congress, Do Your Job and End This Illegal War of Aggression By The U.S. and Israel
March 2, 2026
Take Action Now Congress must assert its Constitutional authority over matters of war and peace against an out-of-control, rogue president and…
Daniel Ellsberg Speaks to Us as the War on Iran Continues
March 2, 2026
Take Action Now Ellsberg’s voice is back via a compelling new book. “Truth and Consequence,” being published this week, provides readers with his…




