President Donald Trump's military occupations of US cities have cost nearly half a billion dollars, according to an expert estimate provided exclusively to The Intercept. The current $473 million price tag now includes $172 million spent in Los Angeles, where troops arrived in June; almost $270 million for the occupation of Washington, D.C., which began in August; nearly $15 million for Portland, Oregon, which was announced in September; and more than $3 million for Memphis, Tennessee, and almost $13 million for Chicago, which both began last month.
These deployments come as Trump threatens to deploy additional troops to more American cities to quell dissent and turn America into a full-blown police state. Trump has repeatedly proclaimed himself unable to enforce the law and seized command of National Guard members over the objections of state governors to quash dissent.
Despite the escalating use of military force, even basic details about domestic troop deployments, including costs, remain secret. Experts have warned that Trump's actions are not justified by any credible threat or rebellion, but rather an attempt to intimidate Americans with military power.
The latest surge in urban occupations comes as court orders are being ignored and MAGA loyalists are put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse, and news outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation.
Critics say that Trump's authoritarian takeover is eroding democracy and undermining civil liberties. "Protest plays an essential role in our democracy and President Trump is hellbent on suppressing it," said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU's National Security Project.
The Intercept has documented numerous instances where Trump has peddled misinformation about federal troop deployments, including claiming that protesters are a "foreign enemy" or that cities like Los Angeles and Portland are under control of criminals. These claims have been repeatedly debunked by fact-checkers and experts.
As the price tag for these occupations continues to rise, it is essential that Americans demand transparency and accountability from their government. The Intercept will continue to hold Trump's administration accountable for its actions and expose the truth about the mounting cost of this authoritarian campaign.
These deployments come as Trump threatens to deploy additional troops to more American cities to quell dissent and turn America into a full-blown police state. Trump has repeatedly proclaimed himself unable to enforce the law and seized command of National Guard members over the objections of state governors to quash dissent.
Despite the escalating use of military force, even basic details about domestic troop deployments, including costs, remain secret. Experts have warned that Trump's actions are not justified by any credible threat or rebellion, but rather an attempt to intimidate Americans with military power.
The latest surge in urban occupations comes as court orders are being ignored and MAGA loyalists are put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse, and news outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation.
Critics say that Trump's authoritarian takeover is eroding democracy and undermining civil liberties. "Protest plays an essential role in our democracy and President Trump is hellbent on suppressing it," said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU's National Security Project.
The Intercept has documented numerous instances where Trump has peddled misinformation about federal troop deployments, including claiming that protesters are a "foreign enemy" or that cities like Los Angeles and Portland are under control of criminals. These claims have been repeatedly debunked by fact-checkers and experts.
As the price tag for these occupations continues to rise, it is essential that Americans demand transparency and accountability from their government. The Intercept will continue to hold Trump's administration accountable for its actions and expose the truth about the mounting cost of this authoritarian campaign.
This is straight up insane 
- nearly half a billion dollars for what? Suppressing dissent and intimidating Americans? It's like they're trying to create some sort of dystopian nightmare 
. I mean, come on, how can we trust the government when they won't even give us basic info about what's going on? And now they're putting MAGA loyalists in charge of the military and law enforcement? 
It's a recipe for disaster 
. We need to stand up against this authoritarian takeover and demand transparency and accountability 
. The ACLU is right, protest plays a vital role in our democracy and we can't let Trump silence us 
.
. This information about President Trump's military occupations is just crazy 
. $473 million already spent and it's only getting worse? That's like, insane! And what really gets me is that all this is happening because of protests 
. I get it, protests can be loud and messy, but they're a fundamental part of our democracy 
.
We need to stand up for ourselves and demand that our government is transparent and accountable. 
This is insane! Like, seriously? We're talking half a billion dollars for military occupations in cities with populations of millions? It's just not right. And what's next? They'll be deploying troops to our neighborhoods to monitor us 24/7? I mean, come on, that's just not how we do things in the US. We have laws and systems in place for a reason. This is just Trump trying to assert his authority and control over the country. Newsflash: it won't work! The people will rise up and demand change. And btw, did you know that there are actually laws that govern the deployment of troops on American soil? It's called the Posse Comitatus Act, btw...
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he's literally breaking the bank & ppl are getting hurt 
the aclu is on point saying protest is key to democracy but trump's all about silencing those voices 
we need more people speaking out against this authoritarian crap 
what's going on with trump and the military? $473 million for cities like LA and DC? that's wild. i feel like we're getting a police state or something. i dont think its fair to ppl who just wanna express themselves peacefully. what if they take away our 1st amendment rights? i've seen some crazy stuff on news about them saying protesters are a "foreign enemy"... yeah right. shouldn't be trying to control the narrative like that 
Can't believe the state of affairs in America right now 
. ACLU is speakin truth to power & im all for it 
the aclu's right, protest is key to a healthy democracy. but trump's just using military force as a last resort... or maybe he wants to turn us into a police state 
. Deploying troops to cities like LA, DC, Portland, Memphis, Chicago... it's just ridiculous! 
. I mean, we have the freedom to protest in this country and that's something we should be proud of, not trying to suppress it with military power 
. We need transparency and accountability from our government, like yesterday 
. The Intercept is doing a great job holding him accountable, but someone needs to do it from the streets too 
.
I'd love to see some solid sources on this estimate - where did The Intercept get their numbers from? And what's the deal with Trump's claim that protesters are a "foreign enemy"? Has anyone fact-checked that one?