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Fact check: Deploying Marines and National Guard to LA protests is costing $134 million

Checked on June 10, 2025

1. Summary of the results

The stated cost of $134 million for deploying Marines and National Guard to LA protests is accurately reported and has been confirmed by multiple sources, specifically by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's acting comptroller Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell during a congressional hearing [1] [2]. The deployment consists of 700 Marines and approximately 2,100-4,100 National Guard members [3] [4]. The funding is specifically allocated for "travel, housing and food" and will come from operations and maintenance accounts [5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

  • The deployment is planned for 60 days [5]
  • The deployment was ordered by President Trump over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom [6]
  • The stated purpose is to protect federal buildings and personnel during immigration raid protests [4]
  • Importantly, the Marines have not yet been called to actively respond to any protests [5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

While the cost figure itself is accurate, the original statement lacks important contextual elements that could affect public perception:

  • The statement doesn't clarify that this is a preventative measure, as the Marines haven't been actively engaged in responding to protests [5]
  • It doesn't mention the political conflict between federal and state authorities, with Governor Newsom opposing the deployment [6]
  • The number of personnel involved varies between sources (2,100 vs 4,100 National Guard troops), which could affect cost justification [3] [4]

Beneficiaries of different narratives:

  • Federal government benefits from emphasizing the need for protection of federal buildings and personnel [4]
  • State government (particularly Governor Newsom) benefits from portraying this as federal overreach [6]
  • Defense contractors and service providers benefit from the significant operational and maintenance spending [5]
Want to dive deeper?
What was the total cost of military deployment during the 2020 Los Angeles protests?
How does the cost of deploying National Guard compare to regular police operations during protests?
What specific expenses are included when calculating military deployment costs for civil unrest?
Have Marines been deployed to domestic protests in other major US cities and at what cost?
What is the typical budget allocation for National Guard domestic operations in California?