California: Military Leaders to Trump: End LA’s occupation. We aren’t a domestic police force
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Jun 17, 2025

Military Leaders to Trump: End LA's occupation. We aren't a domestic police force

What you need to know: As Governor Newsom's motion to block the Trump Administration's illegal militarization of downtown Los Angeles heads to the Ninth Circuit, former military leaders agree – Trump's takeover poses grave risk to both servicemembers and civilians and to our country's constitutional norms.

Sacramento, California – As Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit to block the Trump Administration's illegal militarization of downtown Los Angeles heads to the Ninth Circuit, a powerful new amicus brief from retired four-star generals, admirals, and former Army and Navy secretaries backs the state's position. Their message is clear: Trump's takeover poses a grave risk to our servicemembers, our civilians, and our constitutional norms.

Our members of the military deserve the highest praise and honors for their service to our nation. But with one swift stroke of a pen 3,000 miles away, Trump has put them all on the frontlines of an unneeded military activation.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Amicus brief

Retired four-star admirals and generals and former secretaries of the Army and Navy filed another amicus brief outlining the grave risks of the state's emergency request to revert control of the CalGuard back to the Governor. Read the amicus brief here.

Hear it from former military leaders why Trump's move is wrong:

Diverts soldiers from critical missions

California relies heavily on the rapid response capabilities of its National Guard, especially during wildfire season, which begins in June and poses a threat of fast-moving, large-scale fires. The CalGuard is vital to the state's disaster preparedness and emergency response. Diverting California Guard personnel from these critical state missions risks degrading the state's emergency preparedness.

Poses a danger to the safety of all

U.S. military personnel are not extensively trained for domestic law enforcement, particularly in emotionally charged situations or civil unrest. This is a specialized skill set that law enforcement officers train for continually. Ordering troops to act against fellow Americans places them in an operationally difficult position, potentially leading to irreparable harm.

Politicizes the military

The U.S. military's apolitical nature is jeopardized by the President's actions, which have "overtly pitted the military against his professed political opponents." For example, he suggested Governor Newsom be arrested, requested military personnel cheer as if at a political rally, and stated protesters at his birthday party in Washington, D.C. over the weekend would be met with "very big force." Involving the military in domestic political controversies risks undermining its ability to recruit and retain servicemembers, garner broad public support, and ultimately achieve its core mission of protecting the nation.

What they're saying

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Recently, several veterans and veteran rights' groups came together to decry Trump's militarization of California, read their excerpts below:
  • Kyle Bibby, former U.S. Marine Infantry Captain, Co-CEO of Black Veterans Project: "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.
  • James Espinoza, US Army Veteran, retired first responder, Veteran Nonprofit President: "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.
  • Janessa Goldbeck, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Senior Advisor of VoteVets: "American taxpayers are now footing the bill for a militarized spectacle meant to send a message of dominance, not security. 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."
  • Libby Jamison, U.S. Navy family member: "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: "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."
  • Andy Kopp, U.S. Navy Veteran, San Diego, CA: "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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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."
  • Akilah Templeton, President & CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego; Vice President of the California Association of Veteran Service Agencies, Native of Los Angeles: "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.

Read their entire quotes here.

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