Beyond the 806
Trump threatens $5bn lawsuit over liberal national guard policy report | Donald Trump - The Guardian
The Center for American Progress received a legal threat from Donald Trump's lawyer demanding the liberal research organization retract a report critical of the president's National Guard deployments, or face a $5 billion lawsuit. The report, released July 13, examined National Guard deployments in Washington D.C., Memphis, and Los Angeles, which together carried an estimated cost of $1.7 billion.
The report, released July 13, examined National Guard deployments in Washington D.C., Memphis, and Los Angeles, which together carried an estimated cost of $1.7 billion. Its central finding: crime rates fell at roughly the same pace in cities without National Guard intervention as in those that had it, meaning the deployments showed no statistically measurable impact on crime.
Trump's legal team sent a letter demanding the retraction. The organization has not pulled the report.
For Lubbock readers, this story lands beyond the Beltway in a real way. The National Guard deployment debate touches on how federal resources get allocated and whether data-driven policy critiques can survive legal pressure from the White House. A $5 billion lawsuit threat against a research group over a published report raises direct questions about the boundaries between political hardball and the suppression of policy analysis.
The report compared crime trend lines across cities, and the numbers did not favor the administration's position, which is precisely what prompted the legal threat.
The estimated deployment cost of $1.7 billion works out to more than Lubbock's entire city budget for several years combined.
Common questions
What did the National Guard report actually find?
- The report found that crime rates dropped at roughly the same pace in cities without National Guard troops as in cities that had them. Released July 13, it examined deployments in Washington D.C., Memphis, and Los Angeles, which together cost an estimated $1.7 billion.
Did the organization pull the report after Trump's lawsuit threat?
- No. The Center for American Progress received a legal demand from Trump's lawyers to retract the report or face a $5 billion lawsuit, but the organization has not removed or retracted the report as of the time this story was published.
Stay in the loop
Weekly Lubbock news, deals, and events. Free.
Read next
DOJ charges ICE officer who shot immigrant in Minnesota with lying to investigators - CBS News
At state education board, Texans debate how Islam should be portrayed in high school history classes - Community Impact
JD Vance reacts to airstrike that killed four at Iran wedding: ‘Things happen’ - The Guardian