Schiff blasts 'tinpot dictator' Trump's National Guard mobilization, warns other cities are next

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., blasted President Donald Trump for activating National Guard troops and taking over the Metropolitan Police Department to tackle crime in Washington. 

Schiff's comments coincide with the start of a trial regarding Trump's deployment of California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to respond to immigration riots in June, bypassing California Gov. Gavin Newsom to dispatch the troops.

"First, Donald Trump used the Marines and the National Guard to support his mass deportation agenda in Los Angeles," Schiff posted on X Monday. "Now, he's using similar tactics in D.C. like a tinpot dictator. Don't look away. Don't stay silent. If you do, don't be surprised if it's your city next." 

Tinpot is a term typically used to describe figures who exhibit poor leadership skills.

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Trump announced Monday that he would deploy approximately 800 National Guard troops to respond to crime in the nation's capital. He also announced he would federalize Washington's Metropolitan Police Department to respond to crime, placing it under the authority of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

"I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C.," Trump told reporters at a Monday press conference. "And they're going to be allowed to do their job properly."

National Guard troops are reserve forces that are tapped to address state and federal operations, including natural disasters. While most are typically overseen by state governments, the federal government oversees the District of Columbia National Guard. 

Trump's deployment of the National Guard comes after he vowed Washington would be "LIBERATED" from "Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum" in a post on Truth Social Monday morning. He said: "The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER!" 

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Trump suggested federalizing Washington's Metropolitan Police Department and employing National Guard troops to address crime in Washington on Wednesday. The comments came after the assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer on Aug. 3 in D.C.

A temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is justified in cases of emergency, but it's expected that Trump's decision will face challenges in court over whether the situation in Washington qualifies as an emergency.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Schiff's comments echoed those of Newsom, who filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for federalizing the National Guard to respond to immigration riots. He said in June the move was an "unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." 

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"Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and overstepping his authority," Newsom said in a statement in June. "This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic. Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach."

Meanwhile, a three-day trial kicked off on Monday in California over whether Trump's decision to bypass Newsom and activate roughly 4,000 National Guard troops violated the law.