The National Guard will be removed from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, for now, following efforts to reduce crime in those Democratic-run cities, but it was «only a question of time» when troops will return, President Donald Trump said Wednesday after a series of legal setbacks. 

«We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,» Trump wrote on Truth Social. «Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago were GONE if it weren’t for the Federal Government stepping in.»

The National Guard was deployed to the cities in an effort to curb crime, which Trump said had gotten out of control in those cities. 

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California, Illinois and Oregon responded with lawsuits seeking to block the move, arguing that federalizing the troops was an unlawful overreach. Federal judges eventually blocked the deployments.

Fox News Digital has reached out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, as well as the mayors of Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. 

In a tweet, Newsom said Trump’s federalization of the National Guard was illegal. 

«About time @realDonaldTrump admitted defeat,» he said. «We’ve said it from day one: the federal takeover of California’s National Guard is illegal.»

«Trump is backing away because there was never a legal justification for deploying troops in L.A. and cities across the country,» Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, wrote on X. «The Constitution still applies to presidents who wish it didn’t. Angelenos stood together. We saw through it. The courts saw through it.»

«My office has not yet received official notification that the remaining federalized Oregon National Guard troops can return home,» Kotek said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «They were never lawfully deployed to Portland and there was no need for their presence. If President Trump has finally chosen to follow court orders and demobilize our troops, that’s a big win for Oregonians and for the rule of law.»

On X, Pritzker accused Trump of lying about why the troops will be removed. 

«Donald Trump’s lying again,» he wrote. «He lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities with the National Guard. Now Trump is forced to stand down.»

In his post, Trump said the federal government would be back, «in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again.»

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«The Atlantic» contributing writer Juliette Kayyem said Trump endangered U.S. National Guard soldiers when he deployed in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

«Only a question of time! It is hard to believe that these Democrat Mayors and Governors, all of whom are greatly incompetent, would want us to leave, especially considering the great progress that has been made???» he added. 

The National Guard typically operates under the control of governors, but can be called into federal service by the president only under certain circumstances.

On Dec. 10, a federal judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and ordered them returned to the control of Newsom.

As of Dec. 28, Chicago recorded 412 murders, down from 585 in the same time frame in 2024, according to police data. 

«Chicago recorded the fewest homicides in 2025 than in any year this century, with totals far below previous spikes. The city hasn’t recorded figures this low since the mid 1960’s,» Johnson wrote Wednesday on X. 

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Portland saw reoccurring anti-ICE protests in late 2025, with demonstrators clashing with authorities. 

In Los Angeles, federal authorities were sometimes met with violent resistance during anti-ICE protests earlier in the year as the Trump administration tamped up its mass deportation program targeting criminal illegal immigrants. 

France is planning to ban children under 15 from social media and to restrict cellphone use in high schools starting next year, local media Le Monde reported on Tuesday.

The proposal aims to curb excessive screen time and shield minors from online risks such as inappropriate content. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly cited social media as a contributing factor to violence among young people.  

«Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,» a draft law stated, according to Le Monde.

The document added that children with unrestrained access online have been exposed to «inappropriate content» and could suffer from cyber-harassment or experience changes to their sleep patterns, according to the outlet.

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The proposal follows Australia’s lead after the country introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 years old in December, restricting access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Macron is aiming for Parliament to debate the proposal in January, with a potential start date of September next year, according to the local outlet.

In June, Macron said he wanted to push for similar regulations across the European Union (EU), following a fatal school stabbing in eastern France that shocked the nation in April, Reuters reported.

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A 13-year-old girl is using her smartphone in a dark room. (iStock)

Macron has previously taken numerous steps to protect minors digitally. However, technical challenges, including EU legal constraints and weak enforcement, have limited the effectiveness of such measures. 

Cellphones have already been banned in French elementary and middle schools since 2018, according to Le Monde.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese enacted a world-first social media ban in December, barring children under 16 from using major platforms. (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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In 2023, France reportedly attempted to pass a law calling for a «digital legal age,» which required parental consent for social media users under 15 years old. The law, however, was blocked by EU regulations.

In November, the European Parliament urged the EU to set minimum social media ages to tackle adolescent mental health issues, though final decisions rest with its member states, Reuters reported.

Las festividades comenzaron en el remoto atolón de Kiritimati y avanzaron desde Asia hasta el continente europeo. Los americanos aguardan por las celebraciones

Las celebraciones de Año Nuevo recorrieron el planeta este miércoles y jueves mientras miles de millones de personas despiden un 2025 marcado por conflictos geopolíticos, crisis climáticas y tensiones económicas. El remoto atolón de Kiritimati en Kiribati inauguró las festividades a las 10:00 GMT, seguido por Auckland, Sídney y las principales capitales del este asiático en una cadena global de fuegos artificiales, ceremonias y reflexión.

Sídney ofreció uno de los espectáculos más emotivos: nueve toneladas de fuegos artificiales iluminaron el icónico puerto ante cientos de miles de espectadores, pero las celebraciones incluyeron un minuto de silencio y proyecciones de “Paz” y “Unidad” en el puente del puerto en memoria de las 15 víctimas del tiroteo masivo en Bondi Beach ocurrido hace dos semanas. En Seúl, fuegos artificiales estallaron sobre la Lotte World Tower mientras la histórica campana del pabellón Bosingak sonó 33 veces, una tradición arraigada en la cosmología budista que simboliza los 33 cielos.

China recibió el nuevo año con un espectáculo de tambores tradicionales en la Gran Muralla, horas después de que el presidente Xi Jinping defendiera la paz global y reiterara el objetivo de “reunificación” con Taiwán. Hong Kong, Taiwán, Malasia, Singapur y Filipinas se sumaron simultáneamente a las festividades. Las celebraciones continuarán su avance hacia el oeste rumbo a Tailandia, India, Europa y finalmente las Américas.

Europa no se quedó atrás con las celebraciones y las principales capitales del continente lanzaron fuegos artificiales para recibir el Año Nuevo. París, Londres, Berlín y Edimburgo fueron las ciudades que destacaron por sobre el resto.