What military experts are saying: Veterans unite against militarization of California

Los Angeles, California – As President Trump has now escalated tensions in Southern California by federalizing 4,000 National Guard soldiers and sending in 700 Marines, veterans are speaking out over the unnecessary and inflammatory actions. 

• Janessa Goldbeck, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Senior Advisor of VoteVets: “As a Marine Corps veteran, I know what it means to wear the uniform in service of the Constitution—not the whims of a single man. The President’s decision to deploy active-duty Marines to Los Angeles is not only inflammatory and escalatory—it is a deliberate attempt to recast the military as a domestic tool of political intimidation. This is not normal. It is not necessary. And it is not cheap. American taxpayers are now footing the bill for a militarized spectacle meant to send a message of dominance, not security. The danger is not confined to Los Angeles. This order could be used to justify troop deployments to any city in America. When a president uses the military to police his own people, we are no longer in the realm of democratic governance—we are witnessing the rehearsal of authoritarian rule.”
   
• Shawn VanDiver, U.S. Navy veteran, Founder of the San Diego Chapter of the Truman National Security Project: “Asking the U.S. military to take up arms against American citizens is a betrayal of everything we swore to defend. This isn’t about public safety—it’s about political control, and it puts our service members in an impossible position. Deploying the National Guard and Marines into our own communities corrodes morale, damages readiness, and risks turning the military into a tool of fear rather than a force for national defense. We train to protect the Constitution, not to be used as muscle against the people we serve.”
   
• Naveed Shah, U.S. Army Veteran, Political Director of Common Defense: “The deployment of National Guard and active duty Marines on the streets of Los Angeles goes against everything America stands for. As a veteran, the military’s role is to defend our nation, not police our streets. The president should stand down the troops and restore local control to civilian law enforcement.”
   
• Chris Purdy, U.S. Army, Iraq War Veteran, CEO of The Chamberlain Network: “Deploying the National Guard and active-duty Marines into American communities is a dangerous and unnecessary escalation. These forces are trained for national defense—not for policing American neighborhoods. Bringing in the military increases tension, undermines local law enforcement, and puts both civilians and service members at risk. At a time when we need de-escalation and accountability, this approach sends the wrong message and does lasting damage to public trust.”
   
• Kyle Bibby, former U.S. Marine Infantry Captain, Co-CEO of Black Veterans Project: “When Americans join the military, we are united by a common goal to protect our communities from foreign threats — not turn our war fighting skills against our own community members. President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and Marine Corps infantry units on US soil is a dangerous power grab that will escalate the situation rather than help it. Any commander worth his rank knows to empower the leaders on the ground to accomplish their mission. This deployment against the wishes of the Governor and Mayor undermines the sacred oath veterans take to protect their community and will mostly complicate efforts already underway in Los Angeles. It’s all around bad leadership.”
   
• Andy Kopp, U.S. Navy Veteran, San Diego, CA: “President Trump has made a grave mistake in escalating his fight against the working class by ordering up National Guard soldiers and Marines to Los Angeles. It will only serve to galvanize the solidarity of Americans who wake up every morning to put in an honest day’s work. As a Navy veteran, I know that these service members deployed to American streets, will hold steadfast to their core values and demonstrate the restraint our entire country needs, in order to move forward from the unbridled impulses of a president without conviction.”
   
• Akilah Templeton, President & CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego; Vice President of the California Association of Veteran Service Agencies, Native of Los Angeles: “The decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles must be approached with the utmost care and gravity. Our service members take an oath to defend this nation, and their missions should reflect values that unite and strengthen us as Americans. Any action that places troops in domestic situations must be beyond reproach, necessary in the clearest sense, and reflective of our deepest democratic principles. There is no place for using military force against the very citizens they are sworn to protect. We must also trust in the ability of states and local leaders to enforce the law and maintain order. Service members carry not only the physical burden of their missions, but also the moral weight. We’ve seen from history, most notably Vietnam, how an entire generation can become wounded when a nation is divided. Above all, we owe it to our service members to ensure that their sacrifices are in service of missions they can stand behind with pride. These are our future veterans. Caring for them begins now.” 
   
• James Espinoza, US Army Veteran, retired first responder, Veteran Nonprofit President: “As an Army veteran and retired first responder my overarching concern is the safety of community members and the safety of all first responders. With thousands of National Guard troops already activated and awaiting assignment, now is the time to pause and carefully reassess any further deployment, especially of active-duty marines. Additional state and local law enforcement officers have also been deployed to assist in Los Angeles, and to date, local law enforcement agencies have not requested federal support. Our brave young men and women in the Marine Corps are best utilized protecting our nation as a whole. We do not need shock troops in our cities. We need peaceful collaboration between community members and protectors who are also our community members.”
   
• Libby Jamison, U.S. Navy family member: “As a military family member who spent over a decade living and working around military bases in Southern California, I have serious concerns about deploying active duty troops on U.S. soil. This isn’t what our loved ones in uniform signed up to do, and activating them against our fellow citizens breaks the trust with military families who sacrifice every day on behalf of our nation.”
   
• Chef Basil Kimbrew, Chair of the CDP Veterans Caucus: “I am a 100% disabled veteran. I stand along with commanding 103,000 Veterans across America and appalled in regards to the deployed National Guard and Marines in our communities. Our active duty soldiers did not sign up to fight against our own communities. We signed a blank check to defend our country, not to hurt our own people. This is about attempting to control California. We, Californians, have a Commander, and that is Gov Newsom. We trust and will defend him. He is doing what is best to diffuse this chaos that was created by another person. Veterans and active duty soldiers do not take up fighting against our American people. We have a responsibility to defend against dictatorship, and that’s what we are trained to do. I ask Veterans and Military Families to be aware of your surroundings, rally peacefully – do not give them the opportunity to arrest you! Hooah! Military Strong.”

Hypocrisy is on full display

President Trump agrees he’s breaking the law in California — here’s the evidence.

In 2020, Trump said he wouldn’t federalize National Guard members without the approval of the state’s Governor first. His own Department of Homeland Security leader said just last year that federalizing the National Guard would be a direct attack on state rights. The federal administration is adding more National Guard soldiers and Marines to an already charged situation when they are unneeded. Read more about the lawsuit here.

Illegal militarization 

On June 7, one day after the protests began, President Trump issued a memorandum purporting to authorize the DOD to call up 2,000 National Guard personnel into federal service for a period of 60 days, and declaring a “form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” and directing the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with state governors and the National Guard to commandeer state militias. 

The action puts state sovereignty in danger, as his order was not specific to California and suggests that the President could assume control of any state militia. 

The U.S. Constitution and the Title 10 authority the President invoked in the memo require that the Governor consent to federalization of the National Guard, which Governor Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment and which he confirmed he had not given shortly after their deployment. The President’s unlawful order infringes on Governor Newsom’s role as Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.

Additionally, DOD has expanded Cal Guard’s duties, ordering them to assist ICE agents in civilian law enforcement activities — including arresting and detaining immigrants and others who may be suspected or accused of interfering with ICE — a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution and the rights of American citizens. 

Cleaning up Trump’s mess

On Saturday, there were 250+ protesters pre-National Guard deployment. On Sunday, the protesters grew to 3,000+ post-deployment of the National Guard by the federal government. Their presence is inviting and incentivizing demonstrations.

Since President Trump’s impulsive memo and actions to send the military to the Los Angeles region, the state continued to work with local partners to surge additional state and local law enforcement officers into Los Angeles to clean up President Trump’s mess.  Local and state law enforcement has had to intervene to protect public safety. The National Guard is currently standing sentry outside federal buildings, with local and state law enforcement doing all of the work. 

The President’s actions have not only caused widespread panic and chaos, but have unnecessarily created an additional diversion of resources as the state tries to calm a community terrorized by this reckless federal action