’Is this really happening?’ National Guard Members on Trump Deployments

2025-11-13

A group of National Guard members in Ohio are using an encrypted group chat to work out how they're feeling as President Trump deploys Guard troops to several U.S. cities.It’s become a place for existential questions about their service, careers…and country. NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf flew to Ohio to meet some of them.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode w...

A group of National Guard members in Ohio are using an encrypted group chat to work out how they're feeling as President Trump deploys Guard troops to several U.S. cities.

It’s become a place for existential questions about their service, careers…and country.

NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf flew to Ohio to meet some of them.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino, Erika Ryan, and Connor Donevan with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Alina Hartounian and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Comments (3)