A Republican governor and staunch supporter of Donald Trump is the first major GOP leader to split with the administration on its use of the National Guard.
Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the leader of the National Governors Association, has spoken up about his concerns about Trump’s national guard deployment.
‘We believe in the federalist system — that’s states’ rights,’ Stitt told the New York Times in an interview Thursday.
He continued: ‘Oklahomans would lose their mind if [Illinois Gov. JB] Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.’
The president has deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, to help local authorities address crime. Local crime in the nation’s capital has meaningfully dropped since the troops arrived, police statistics show.
The Texas National Guard has also gone to Chicago to deal with the major city’s rampant crime at Trump’s direction.
However, that effort was put on ice on Thursday after a federal judge blocked the legal authority used to deploy the troops there, a ruling that will prevent the deployment for at least two weeks.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has outspokenly bashed Trump’s Chicago crime concerns, and recently filmed a skit wearing a bulletproof vest in ‘war-torn’ downtown Chicago to mock the president’s concerns.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt is the first major GOP leader to come out against Trump regarding the president’s National Guard deployments. He specifically stated that Trump should have federalized the Illinois National Guard instead of having Texas National Guard troops go to Chicago
Demonstrators have protested against local Chicago authorities and immigration officials
Trump has deployed National Guard in Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, to help local authorities tackle crime. Trump has also wanted to send National Guard to Chicago
Stitt said that instead of Trump using the Texas National Guard, the president should have federalized the Illinois National Guard.
The Oklahoma governor also expressed skepticism over why his neighbor to the south would send his soldiers to deal with Illinois’ problems, noting how Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott and he had previously worked together to oppose federalist issues under ex-President Joe Biden.
‘I was surprised that Governor Abbott sent troops from Texas to Illinois,’ Stitt said.
‘Abbott and I sued the Biden administration when the shoe was on the other foot and the Biden administration was trying to force us to vaccinate all of our soldiers and force masks across the country.’
He continued: ‘As a federalist believer, one governor against another governor, I don’t think that’s the right way to approach this.’
Stitt noted that he will likely bring up the Texas National Guard deployment with Abbott directly. The two are scheduled to attend a high-profile college football game in Dallas over the weekend.
‘I’m sure it’ll come up,’ Stitt said, noting how he and Abbott have a good relationship.
‘I would send troops to the southern border on his request, anytime he wanted them, and I know he would do the same for me.’
