The US Government is Secretly Spending Billions to Patrol America's Streets, Cutting Social Services in the Process.
The cost of deploying troops to six cities across America now stands at $496 million in 2025, according to a new report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The deployments include troops in Washington DC, Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland. The deployment has been met with criticism from lawmakers who claim that it is an overreach of executive power.
Critics argue that the $93 million per month cost for these operations would be better spent on vital public services such as healthcare, education, and food aid. According to Hanna Homestead, from the National Priorities Project, "They are spending billions to militarize our streets while cutting food aid, healthcare, social services, and labor and environmental protections – at a time of unparalleled wealth inequality."
The government's actions have raised concerns about its motives for deploying troops across America. Critics say that it is an attempt to intimidate citizens who oppose Trump's policies or to assert executive power over Congress.
"This is not hyperbole," said Hanna Homestead. "Court orders are being ignored, MAGA loyalists have been 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."
Lawmakers who requested the CBO report argue that this level of militarization is unprecedented in US history. They claim that it undermines the rule of law and threatens democratic institutions.
Trump's actions have also raised questions about his relationship with the military and whether he has used executive power for personal gain. Critics point to instances where Trump ordered troops to be deployed in response to perceived threats or to quell unrest, but these deployments were not backed by evidence.
As the situation continues to unfold, lawmakers are pushing back against the government's actions. The CBO report comes as part of a growing conversation about the limits of executive power and the role of the military in domestic law enforcement.
In response to Trump's actions, many are calling for greater transparency and accountability from the government. As Hanna Homestead said, "We need to grow our reporting capacity to effectively counter these attacks on democracy."
The cost of deploying troops to six cities across America now stands at $496 million in 2025, according to a new report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The deployments include troops in Washington DC, Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland. The deployment has been met with criticism from lawmakers who claim that it is an overreach of executive power.
Critics argue that the $93 million per month cost for these operations would be better spent on vital public services such as healthcare, education, and food aid. According to Hanna Homestead, from the National Priorities Project, "They are spending billions to militarize our streets while cutting food aid, healthcare, social services, and labor and environmental protections – at a time of unparalleled wealth inequality."
The government's actions have raised concerns about its motives for deploying troops across America. Critics say that it is an attempt to intimidate citizens who oppose Trump's policies or to assert executive power over Congress.
"This is not hyperbole," said Hanna Homestead. "Court orders are being ignored, MAGA loyalists have been 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."
Lawmakers who requested the CBO report argue that this level of militarization is unprecedented in US history. They claim that it undermines the rule of law and threatens democratic institutions.
Trump's actions have also raised questions about his relationship with the military and whether he has used executive power for personal gain. Critics point to instances where Trump ordered troops to be deployed in response to perceived threats or to quell unrest, but these deployments were not backed by evidence.
As the situation continues to unfold, lawmakers are pushing back against the government's actions. The CBO report comes as part of a growing conversation about the limits of executive power and the role of the military in domestic law enforcement.
In response to Trump's actions, many are calling for greater transparency and accountability from the government. As Hanna Homestead said, "We need to grow our reporting capacity to effectively counter these attacks on democracy."
I'm not buying this whole thing about the US Government secretly spending billions to patrol America's streets 
. Like, where's the proof? We're talking $496 million for six cities and no clear explanation of what this is even intended to achieve 
. It sounds like some pretty dodgy stuff if you ask me 
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that's a serious concern, but we need solid evidence before we start jumping on the anti-government bandwagon 
. Trump's policies are a no-brainer – we should be focusing on transparency and accountability, not speculation and conspiracy theories 
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. Without concrete evidence, I'm just gonna have to wait and see if this is all just another case of government overreach 
What's going on with this? They're literally dropping BILLIONS of dollars to militarize our streets while gutting social services? Like, what's next? Sending the military to collect our trash or something? 
This is insane. We need more transparency and accountability from our government, not less. And yeah, it's definitely a clear case of Trump trying to assert his power over Congress and intimidate anyone who opposes him. News outlets that speak truth to power are being silenced? That's straight out of an authoritarian playbook 
it's not rocket science, folks! and another thing, who gets to decide what's "unprecedented" in US history? isn't this just a classic case of power abuse? 
. I mean, come on! You gotta wonder if it's all just a big power play by the Trump administration 
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. They're ignoring court orders and using the military to silence people who disagree with them 
. It's like they think they can just do whatever they want without any consequences 
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. We need to make sure that our law enforcement agencies are focused on real crimes, not just policing people who are protesting or exercising their rights 
. This isn't about patriotism; it's about protecting our democracy 
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. Can't we find a way to make our streets safer without resorting to military force? 
. Cutting social services might not be the most ideal solution, but is deploying troops really the alternative? 
. But at the same time, we need to be careful not to jump to conclusions or assume everything is about politics 
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. Maybe we just need more transparency and accountability from the government? 
. But for real, $496 million for 6 cities? That's a whole lotta dough that could be spent on actual public services like healthcare and education. And what's up with this Department of Government Efficiency stripping Congress of its power? Sounds like something out of a scene from House of Cards 
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like u can't even walk down the street without getting robbed or attacked in some of these areas... deploying troops is a good start but we need 2 figure out what's really goin on here 
. Deploying troops to pat down people who are just trying to live their lives? Not cool, man 
. And cutting social services at the same time? 
. This feels like a huge overreach of executive power and it's got me feeling super anxious 
. What do you guys think? Should we be worried? 
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What's next? 
Or is this just another way for him to assert his power over the country? 
No more playing games with the military and law enforcement agencies... that's just not right! 
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. We need to know what's really going on behind closed doors. But this level of secrecy is just ridiculous 
. We need more transparency and accountability from the government, ASAP!