Make Me Smart The politicization of the National Guard
Oct 7, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Patrick Eddington, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute with expertise in civil liberties, delves into the controversial deployment of the National Guard in U.S. cities. He highlights the Guard's evolving role and the legal challenges surrounding these unprecedented actions. Eddington warns of the dangers of politicizing military presence, especially ahead of elections. He also emphasizes the historical concerns of military intimidation in civilian spaces and offers recommendations for citizen action and reform.
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Guard's Traditional Role
- The National Guard primarily serves as a reserve force with members holding civilian jobs and training monthly and annually.
- Its domestic role has traditionally focused on disaster and emergency response rather than routine law enforcement.
Unprecedented Political Deployments
- Large-scale deployments of the Guard for domestic unrest are historically rare and limited to specific crises.
- Patrick Eddington says the current pattern of sending Guard troops from politically aligned states into opposition-run cities is unprecedented.
Rhetoric Framing Citizens As Enemy
- Senior military leaders were summoned and told to view political opponents as "the enemy within," an unprecedented rhetorical shift.
- Eddington says that rhetoric dangerously blurs civilian politics and military duty.
