Marketplace All-in-One The politicization of the National Guard
Oct 7, 2025
In a compelling discussion, Patrick Eddington, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and an expert in civil liberties, dives into the unprecedented politicization of the National Guard under recent administrations. He sheds light on the evolving role of the Guard, highlighting concerns over military morale and legal challenges to deployments. Eddington warns of the implications these actions have on communities and civil rights, urging for reform and a return to constitutional principles in the face of rising political tensions.
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Guard's Traditional Role
- The National Guard is primarily a reserve force with civilian jobs that trains monthly and for two weeks a year.
- Its typical domestic role centers on disaster response, not large-scale law enforcement deployments.
Unusual Domestic Deployment
- Large domestic deployments for unrest are rare historically and usually limited to specific incidents.
- The current administration's deployments into Democratic-run cities represent a break from that precedent.
Militarizing Rhetoric
- The president publicly framed parts of the military as tools against "the enemy within," a historically unprecedented appeal.
- That rhetoric pressures senior military leaders and risks militarizing domestic politics.
