Federal Appeals Court Halts Order on National Guard Control

A federal appeals court has swiftly paused a lower court’s ruling that required President Donald Trump to relinquish control of the National Guard to California. This decision came down late Thursday night.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed Trump to maintain the National Guard’s presence in Los Angeles at least until a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, where the matter will be discussed further.

Judge Charles B. Breyer, who was appointed by Clinton, deemed Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in response to riots in Los Angeles as illegal, effectively blocking the retention of the troops in the city. The Trump administration reacted promptly by appealing to the Ninth Circuit.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, asserting that the decision to send in the National Guard was unconstitutional.

On Friday morning, Trump expressed on Truth Social, “The Appeals Court ruled last night that I can use the National Guard to keep our cities, in this case Los Angeles, safe. If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!”

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated in a Thursday night response that the administration anticipates a favorable outcome regarding the issue. She emphasized that “The court’s order is unprecedented and puts our brave federal officials in danger,” and argued that the district court lacks the authority to override the President’s role as Commander in Chief. She reiterated that the President acted lawfully to mobilize the National Guard for the protection of federal properties and personnel in what she characterized as a lawless situation in Los Angeles.