Trump wants an excuse for military crackdowns on American citizens, but when it comes to paying the National Guard soldiers he illegally ordered to escalate tensions in Los Angeles, he’s missing in action.
According to Military.com, the 4,000 California National Guard soldiers in Los Angeles aren’t being paid for their work due to Trump’s chaotic activation orders, which clogged up the flow of administrative work.
Guard members are still waiting for critical paperwork that unlocks their wages, health benefits, and eligibility for services from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Part-time troops reported leaving better-paying civilian jobs without clarity on how much they’ll earn while mobilized.
“Trump is quick to give lip-service to how much he loves our military, but in reality he could not give a damn about the welfare and needs of active servicemembers or veterans,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “Causing financial stress for National Guard troops is just the latest of Trump’s betrayals to America’s military community and their families. This weekend, Trump plans to spend tens of millions of dollars using the military as props in a parade to celebrate his birthday; meanwhile, he’s gutting the Veterans Administration, cutting crucial programs, and making it harder to access benefits. None of this is what our servicemembers signed up for.”
Trump has a long history of disrespecting active service members, veterans, and their families:
August 2024: Donald Trump disrespected veterans and service members with his comments about how the Presidential Medal of Freedom is superior to the military Medal of Honor because the former involves no sacrifice.
February 2024: Trump questioned why Nikki Haley’s husband was not with her on the campaign trail. Maj. Michael Haley was abroad on a mission with the National Guard.
January 2024: Trump mocked late Senator John McCain’s inability to raise his arms due to injuries he sustained as a prisoner of war.
September 2023: It is revealed that Trump accused the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, of treason and said he should be executed.
August 2021: Trump told a convention of American Veterans, a volunteer-led veterans service organization, that he considered awarding himself the Medal of Honor.
November 2020: People with knowledge of Trump’s private conversations said he long scorned those who served in Vietnam as being too dumb to have avoided serving like he did.
October 2020: Trump said he thought Gold Star families who visited the White House for an event gave him COVID.
September 2020: Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery because it was “filled with losers.”
May 2019: The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s 2017 tax plan raised taxes on as many as 10,000 children of deceased service members.
October 2017: Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson confirmed then-President Trump told the widow of deceased Army Sgt. La David Johnson that her husband “knew what he was getting into.”
July 2016: Trump attacked the Khans, a Gold Star family, after they spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
July 2015: Trump expressed contempt for the war record of the late Senator John McCain, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. Trump said McCain was “not a war hero.”
Published: Jun 12, 2025 | Last Modified: Jun 25, 2025