U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to create specialised National Guard units that will be trained and equipped to handle “public order issues,” including large-scale unrest. The new formation, dubbed the National Rapid Response Task Force in an administration fact sheet, is meant to be deployable to any U.S. city within roughly an hour, administration officials said. The order tasks Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth with organising the force and drafting rules for its use. White House aides said the units would support local authorities but retain federal command, echoing the administration’s recent decision to arm National Guard personnel already deployed in Washington, D.C. Officials added that Chicago is being evaluated for an early deployment, part of a broader crime-reduction push that also includes separate executive actions targeting cashless bail policies and flag desecration. Funding levels and troop numbers for the new Guard units were not disclosed.