Republican senators are voicing growing unease with President Donald Trump's clash with Democratic governors over sending National Guard troops from other states to Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, reflecting concerns about states' rights, precedent and the use of military forces in local policing.
Weekend Moves Escalate GOP Concerns Over Precedent
The confrontation escalated over the weekend when Trump moved to deploy Guard soldiers to Oregon and Illinois despite opposition from Gov. Tina Kotek and Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The push intensified scrutiny from within the president's party, even among lawmakers who back stricter immigration enforcement and protection of federal sites.
"I worry about someday a Democrat president sending troops or National Guard from New York, California, Oregon, Washington state to North Carolina. I think it's bad precedent," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told The Hill. "If you look at this particular issue, I don't see how you can argue that this comports with any sort of conservative view of states' rights," he added.
Republicans Question Military Policing And States' Rights
"I'm having a real struggle right now with the National Guard being deployed and masking the abject failure of leaders at the state and local level," Tillis told Attorney General Pam Bondi at a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Wednesday.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told The Hill that she supports Guard deployments when governors request help, such as after natural disasters, but warned the president is "moving into a dangerous new realm." "This is not the role of our military," she said, adding the orders are "unprecedented" and should concern lawmakers.
Court Rebuke And Divided Responses In The Senate
Legal fights mounted as Oregon District Judge Karin Immergut, a 2019 Trump appointee, accused the administration on Sunday night of defying her order blocking federalization of 200 Oregon Guard members to protect an ICE facility in Southwest Portland. After the administration sought to send 200 California Guard troops instead, she warned that it would be "in direct contravention" of her ruling and called Trump's claim that Portland is "burning down," "untethered to the facts."
Democrats such as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said the ruling was flouted.
Some Republicans defended federal authority. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) cited the federal duty to protect property while criticizing Democratic crime policies. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) pointed to Chicago's violence but said Guard deployments work best "when the governor is in concert" with the president and that most situations should remain a law-enforcement matter.
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