Former Republican governors air concerns about Trump's National Guard moves
Source: NBC News
Oct. 7, 2025, 7:31 PM EDT
As President Donald Trump clashes with Democratic governors over his push to deploy federalized National Guard troops to their cities, several former Republican governors are raising concerns about strong-arm tactics and constitutional crises — while also noting that the president has wide latitude to deploy the guard.
The three former governors, who have long histories of criticizing Trump, also expressed a sense of resignation, saying they believe he will charge ahead unless the courts rein him in.
“This is infuriating,” former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, who left the Republican Party in 2022 after years of opposing Trump and endorsing his opponents, said in an interview. “It is stoking resentment and fanning the flames. But as a governor there is nothing you can do to really stop the president from federalizing the guard.”
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich expressed concern with the communication between the Trump administration and state and local officials. “I would say: ‘Here are my problems. What can you do to help me? Work with me. Don’t just shove stuff down my throat,’” said Kasich, a Republican who ran against Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primaries and has since been a prominent anti-Trump voice in the party.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-republican-governors-air-concerns-trump-national-guard-rcna236160
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