There is now as much military activated in the US as there are active duty troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan

Mod: With Trump there is always a next worse step. This is starting to look like the latest disaster. A Trump run military deployed in the streets of the United States of America. Have we just now become Venezuela, complete with vainglorious crackpot Generalissimo?

There are as many National Guard members activated in the US as there are active duty troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan (CNNlink): As thousands across the US take to the streets for another day of protests demanding justice for George Floyd, more than 17,000 members of the National Guard are standing ready to support local law enforcement.

That represents approximately the same number of active duty troops deployed in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. As of Monday, nearly half of the US has activated guard members to respond to civil unrest.

On top of the District of Columbia, the 23 states that have activated the National Guard are: Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Additionally, about 45,000 National Guard members are supporting the Covid-19 response across all 50 states, three territories and D.C., bringing the total number of activated National Guard soldiers and airmen to 66,700.

Trump Pledges to Deploy Troops Across the U.S. Amid Protests (Bloomberglink): President Donald Trump promised a forceful response to violent protests across the country and threatened to deploy the U.S. military if cities and states fail to contain unruly demonstrations set off by the death of a black man in police custody.

During hastily arranged remarks Monday evening, Trump pledged to do everything he could to preserve order, including in Washington, where vandalism, looting and fires overshadowed three days of peaceful protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week.

“I am mobilizing all available federal resources civilian and military to stop the rioting and looting to end the destruction and arson and to protect the rights of law abiding Americans,” Trump said from the Rose Garden at the White House.

Moments before the president spoke, as White House officials prepared for his remarks, security forces used tear gas and concussion grenades to clear peaceful protesters from streets around Lafayette Square across from the White House. After his brief address, he made an unannounced visit on foot to the historic Saint John’s Episcopal Church less than a day after it was damaged by fire during demonstrations late Sunday night.

Mod: The military isn't especially happy, either. 

Pentagon officials express concern as Trump threatens to use military to 'dominate' protestors (CNNlink): Defense officials tell CNN there was deep and growing discomfort among some in the Pentagon even before President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is ready to deploy the military to enforce order inside the United States.

As tear gas wafted through the air in Lafayette Park across from the White House, Trump announced from the Rose Garden that if state or city leaders refuse "to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents," he will invoke the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that allows a president to deploy the US military to suppress civil disorder.

But some Pentagon officials are deeply wary, several defense officials tell CNN. They have tried to respond by making a strong case that the situation does not yet call for deploying active duty troops unless state governors make a clear argument that such forces are needed. There is also discomfort with the civil order mission among some National Guard troops -- more of whom are now mobilized inside the US than at any previous time in history.

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