(The Center Square) – Former military leaders have lined up on both sides of the debate between President Donald Trump and Gov. J.B. Pritzker over National Guard deployments.
At a press conference in Chicago Thursday, the governor said Trump is hoping to blur the lines between masked federal agents and members of the National Guard.
“We must continue to call this what it is: a dangerous, dangerous power grab that echoes the rise of authoritarianism and authoritarian regimes throughout world history,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said people have great respect and admiration for members of the U.S. military.
“What the president is now doing has the potential to significantly erode that faith that the American public has,” the governor said.
Pritzker said Trump was abusing power and attempting to politicize the military.
Retired Navy Captain Brent Sadler disagreed with the governor’s claims.
“The reason why the president is compelled to activate the National Guards against governors who are not taking action is because federal facilities and the execution of federal authorities that are constitutional have been interfered for far too long,” Sadler told The Center Square.
Sadler currently serves as Senior Research Fellow, Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology, at the Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security.
Sadler disputed Pritzker’s claims that Trump is politicizing the armed forces.
“I don’t see this as a politicization of the military. I think what Gov. Pritzker’s trying to do is probably more an attempt at politicization than anything else,” Sadler said.
Several former military leaders lined up behind Pritzker last Thursday, including retired U.S. Army Major General Randy Manner and retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Michael E. Smith.
Major General William L. Enyart, former adjutant general of the Illinois Army National Guard, said he supports Pritzker’s efforts to stop the Guard from being deployed.
“Our National Guard members joined and serve to defend our nation, to respond to natural disasters. They are not policeman. They are not political pawns,” Enyart said, standing with Pritzker.
Enyart questioned using taxpayer dollars and taking National Guard soldiers away from their jobs and families to “pick up trash” in Washington, D.C.
Sadler said the National Guard was never ordered to pick up trash and beautify the city.
“The way we’re all raised inside uniformed service and being dedicated to something bigger than ourselves, if you see something that’s just kind of messy and you’re there, it’s in our nature to leave things better than when we found them. I don’t buy that narrative that they were ordered to pick up trash,” Sadler said.
Sadler said the Guard was ordered to Washington, D.C. to take care of criminal activity that had gotten out of control, which he witnessed firsthand on numerous occasions.
“It’s very real. And it’s gotten better. It was the test case for activating the National Guard to try to help restore civility in the city streets,” Sadler added.
