1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

What Donald Trump has done in Washington, D.C. should alarm every governor in this nation, regardless of party. He stripped the city of its authority, federalized its police force, and filled its streets with armed National Guard troops—despite crime being at historic lows. Now he is trying to extend this model into the states, under the false flag of “crime crackdowns” and “immigration support.” This is not about safety. This is about power. The federal government has no right to dictate policing on our streets, no right to commandeer our Guard, and no right to trample state authority. The moment we accept this precedent, we hand over the sovereignty of our state to Washington and reduce our elected leaders to figureheads. You were elected to defend the rights of this state and its people—not to bow to federal overreach dressed up as “law and order.” Republicans have always stood for limited government, state control, and constitutional balance. That tradition demands that you push back, loudly and forcefully. Challenge this in the courts, block any attempt to federalize our Guard, and rally other governors to draw a hard line against creeping authoritarianism. If we let this stand, we set the stage for a future where federal troops can be planted in any city, any state, for any reason a president invents. That is not conservatism. That is tyranny. The time for hedging and polite disagreement is over. Defend our sovereignty. Defend our Constitution. Defend our people. Fight back now.