Speak Out: End the Abuse of Our National Guard & Uphold the Constitution

I am outraged. Immediately denounce President Trump's unauthorized deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles. He is abusing executive power and setting a dangerous precedent that undermines our democratic governance and constitutional principles. The President has ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops, and then an additional 2,000, into a sovereign state against the will of its governor, Gavin Newsom. Only governors have the constitutional authority to deploy their state's National Guard units in domestic affairs unless the President formally invokes the Insurrection Act. Trump did not formally invoke this Act; instead, he issued a legally dubious executive order, bypassing the chain of command and violating state sovereignty. Members of the California Guard were deployed with little to no advance notice and no clear mission brief. They were left to sleep on concrete floors, in vehicles, or on gymnasium floors, many without sufficient food, water, cots, or field kitchens. This is not a proper deployment. This deployment is not for peace or disaster relief, but to suppress largely peaceful demonstrations and flex control. Trump is using the military as a political weapon to silence protest, deny assembly, and for mere spectacle. Previously he used Guard troops to clear peaceful protesters for a photo opportunity. Deploying Guard troops without a governor's consent, absent a clear and formal invocation of the Insurrection Act, undermines the principles of federalism and the Posse Comitatus Act. The silence from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Congress, including House Republicans, regarding this federal overreach is deafening and dangerous. I demand that you publicly condemn President Trump's unconstitutional deployment and abuse of the National Guard. Support Governor Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit challenging the legality of this federal deployment. Demand oversight hearings in Congress to investigate this executive overreach and the appalling conditions faced by our troops. Call for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify under oath and explain or justify this federal overreach. Ensure that our National Guard troops are no longer used as theater props and receive the basic support they deserve. We cannot afford to look away from this grotesque abuse of power. If you truly support our military, you will not be silent. Our troops are sleeping on hard ground in a major U.S. city, not due to a natural disaster or foreign invasion, but because one man wanted a spectacle. The time to speak out is now.