When the National Guard starts showing up in your backyard more often than the Amazon delivery guy, you start to wonder: is this just another bad news cycle or is it the new way we do government?

Let’s recap the last few weeks. President Trump sends troops to D.C. to clean up the mess that local leaders seem determined to ignore. Then it’s Memphis, where local officials bristled like cats in a rainstorm. Now it’s Portland and Chicago: one city had a federal judge slam the brakes, and the other’s gearing up for deployment like it’s 1968 all over again.

Look, there’s no question these cities are dealing with some real messes. Crime’s up. Public safety’s down. And half the politicians running these places seem more concerned with virtue signaling than actually keeping the streets safe. So, it’s not exactly shocking that President Trump—never known for subtlety—grabbed the federal bullhorn and said, “Fine. If you won’t do it, I will.”

But here’s the thing: this isn’t just about law and order anymore. It’s starting to feel like a new governing playbook.

We’ve now seen federal force used not just in emergencies, but as a go-to tactic. Troops deployed without the consent of governors. Federal agents arresting people in cities that didn’t ask for them. ICE raids bundled inside anti-crime pushes. And local leaders left blinking into the cameras, asking, “Can he even do that?”

And the courts are just now starting to weigh in, like the judge in Oregon who said, in polite legalese, “Um, maybe not.”

So, what’s really going on here? Is this a bold reset of federal priorities? An executive branch finally stepping in where blue-state politicians refuse to lead? Or are we quietly rewriting the rules of federalism?

Because if the President can federalize police in D.C., override governors in Illinois and Oregon, and start calling National Guard units like they’re on speed dial… well, that’s not just tough-on-crime policy. That’s a structural shift.

Now, some will say, “But crime is bad! These cities are out of control!” And yes, you’re not wrong. Some of these places are downright lawless. But here’s a wild idea: maybe the solution isn’t federal babysitting. Maybe local voters need to elect leaders who won’t let their cities become open-air crime scenes in the first place. Let them deal with the consequences of their votes.

At some point, we have to ask: are these interventions about solving crime or about controlling cities that refuse to toe the federal line? And if this becomes standard practice, will we still be a union of states with real autonomy or just 50 ZIP codes waiting for the next troop drop?

So, here’s a thought: let’s fix the root problems—broken city leadership, political cowardice, failed policies—before we reach for the Kevlar and riot shields every time.

Otherwise, this “temporary fix” might just become permanent policy.

And if that’s the case? Well, better start building guest rooms for the National Guard. They might be sticking around.