Oklahoma’s Republican governor criticizes Texas troops in Illinois.

Oklahoma Governor Criticizes Texas National Guard Deployment

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, who also serves as president of the National Governors Association (NGA), expressed his opposition on Thursday regarding the deployment of the Texas National Guard to Illinois. He views this move as a violation of what he believes are “states’ rights.”

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Stitt mentioned he was taken aback by Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to send troops to Illinois, especially given Governor J.B. Pritzker’s objections. Stitt suggested that this approach is misguided.

“It surprised me that Governor Abbott would send troops from Texas to Illinois,” Stitt remarked. “Both Abbott and I had previously challenged the Biden administration when it tried to mandate vaccinations for all soldiers and enforce mask mandates nationwide.”

Stitt, a proponent of federalism, noted, “I don’t think it’s appropriate to pit one governor against another in this matter.”

Reports indicate that by Wednesday night, approximately 200 members of the Texas National Guard and around 300 Illinois National Guard members were active in the greater Chicago area, as confirmed by the U.S. Northern Command.

He acknowledged that while he supports President Trump’s intentions to maintain “law and order” in cities governed by Democrats, he has reservations about the broader implications of this military deployment and how it might be utilized by future administrations.

“We believe in a federalist system. It’s about states’ rights,” Stitt emphasized. “If Governor Pritzker sent troops into Oklahoma during the Biden administration, it would create quite a stir among Oklahomans.”

Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom have indicated they might withdraw from the NGA if the association does not publicly oppose the troop deployments to Texas. However, Stitt clarified that this isn’t the organization’s fault.

“The NGA operates as an educational institution under IRS guidelines,” he explained. “Political involvement isn’t part of our mission.”

Stitt mentioned he had not yet discussed his concerns about the troop deployment with Abbott but anticipated that such discussions would occur when they meet this weekend at a football game in Dallas.

He stated that he maintains a positive relationship with Abbott, saying, “I’m always willing to send troops to our southern border at his request, and I know he would do the same for me.”