No, they are not Trump’s “Stormtroopers.”

The recent deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia to address evident violent crime and property damage has led to its members being characterized by some critics on the Left as “Trump’s Stormtroopers,” in clear allusion and equivalence to those angry Brown-shirted unemployed war veterans, bar brawling Nazi party members of 1930s Germany, who took oath to do the work of Adolph Hitler and, for example, illegally bashed the heads of Communists, and killed them on the streets, burned books they did not like at the Universities, and terrorized Jewish shopkeepers in the sadistic early Holocaust program known as “Kristallnacht.” These characterizations, including by some Democratic friends of mine here in California, cannot and must not be taken seriously. Calling these National Guard members “Stormtroopers” is not only wildly inaccurate, it does a grave disservice to history, and to those who actually suffered at the brutality of Hitler’s war machine and actual henchman and enforcers in Nazi Germany.

What is a “Stormtrooper?” In modern understanding, it is a character out of the “Star Wars” movies, a highly trained, elite shock trooper loyal to the Galactic Empire, identifiable by their distinctive white armor. They are the primary military force of the Empire and are known for their imposing appearance and supposed unwavering loyalty to the Emperor. But in historical context, a “Stormtrooper” refers to elite German shock troops, particularly those within the Waffen SS. These soldiers were trained in infiltration tactics and were used to spearhead attacks, exploiting weaknesses in enemy lines. While there wasn't a single official stormtrooper regiment, various elite units within the Waffen SS and other branches of the German military adopted these tactics during the war. It is also a term used colloquially to describe Hitler’s roving Nazi thugs in political street battles as he was coming to power.

But the National Guard members Trump has deployed have absolutely no relevance or connection to the description of “Stormtrooper.” Their clear function is to protect people. They are not thuggish street fighters, are not in place to bash heads, and do not do so. They are not imposing a vile political will, rather, they are helping to enforce the established laws of Congress, and protect Federal personnel and property. And the only loyalty oath they take is not to Trump, or Hitler, but rather, to the United States of America.

So, what is a National Guard member? A National Guard member is a part-time member of the military who serves both their state and the nation. They typically drill one weekend a month and train for two weeks annually, but can be activated for full-time duty in times of emergency or when called upon by the President or their state governor. National Guard members also receive benefits like healthcare, education assistance, and retirement. Many have formerly served in the military. They are Democrats and Republicans. Some may have jobs such as firefighters. They are not Nazis. They are our American neighbors.

Trump deployed the National Guard and some marines in Los Angeles in June in response to violent protests in downtown Los Angeles that resulted in significant attacks on Federal agents and property damage. The action is now being reviewed in court, but the fact is the deployment was short-lived, heads of Leftist activists were not bashed, most all the Guard were withdrawn in July, and the result was Federal property, ICE agents, and people were protected. Even the Los Angeles Police Chief said his department was “overwhelmed” by the protests, though apparent political pressure from Mayor Bass tempered his further statements about the mess in the City the police were confronted with. But the National Guard deployment’s work proved not to be the work of “stormtroopers.” And it has essentially ended.

Now Trump has deployed the National Guard in the District of Columbia. And once again, their work will not be that of violently crushing political opponents. Rather, it will be to help establish better order in the District, and remove violent criminals and their weapons from the scene, something the Metropolitan Police under the direction of a wildly woke City Council have not been able to do on their own.

The stories of recent violence in the District are rather easy to research - they are “existential”, as any typical Biden or Obama surrogate would use that word. So I won’t repeat those facts here. But the National Guard intervention is not only needed now, it has been needed for a long time, and has only been made possible now by President Trump’s resolve and the support of a Republican Congress. Even local ABC News in DC, even Democrats (privately) are praising the new emphasis on combatting the widespread violent crime in our nation’s Capitol. If you don’t believe crime is a problem in the District, please, reader, just ask anyone you know, Democrat or Republican, who has lived in the District for any period of time, what they think about crime in DC. They will unanimously tell you it was out-of-control when they lived there, and it remains out-of-control today. It is said that if the District were a state, it would currently have four times the murder rate of the next highest state. There are plenty of stories of victimization by crime of DC residents. I lived in the District during the Reagan Administration, and I can say from personal experience that though I did not know anyone who was murdered: I was once mugged at knife-point on Christmas Eve walking my date to my car outside a restaurant in Chinatown; my wife and I left another famous Chinese restaurant on K Street years later one night to have have a man point a gun at us (and others) as he ran down the boulevard; my home was invaded while at work and I lost my class rings, a couple thousand dollars in savings bonds, and a Gucci watch my wife gave me; and I suffered four car break-ins, losing countless gym bags and their contents, and even a freshly dry-cleaned Neiman-Marcus pin-stripped suit. I never experienced such crime living in Los Angeles or Orange County. And this is not even to mention the mismanagement of the DC government and the eight parking tickets falsely written by Metropolitan parking control officers (“meter maids”), assessing me hundreds of dollars in fines for no reason, other than to meet some sort of issuance quota, that I had to go to court to reverse, twice, taking the entire day off from work each time to do so.

So in my opinion, it is not the National Guard that are “Stormtroopers.” These good people now in DC are truly needed to help ramp-up and ensure law and order and support the Metropolitan police to regain control. It is good to see even the DC Mayor is supporting this effort. (But I also wouldn’t mind if Trump did federalize the parking control officers.)