Krishnamoorthi Condemns Trump Administration’s ‘Shocking Abuse of Executive Power’ in Deployments of National Guard Troops

WASHINGTON – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth condemning the Trump Administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to American cities, calling the move “a shocking abuse of executive power…cheered by America’s foreign adversaries” that serves the CCP’s propaganda and diminishes our military edge.

In the letter, Krishnamoorthi warns that deploying the Guard domestically over the objections of local leaders and residents not only endangers civil liberties at home but also weakens U.S. readiness abroad, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where Guard units play a key role in deterring military aggression by the CCP.

“America’s adversaries are taking notice” of the ongoing National Guard deployments, wrote Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, adding that the CCP believes these deployments are “‘deepening partisan strife and further exacerbating societal tensions’ and offer proof of the failure of democracy. Beijing wants nothing more than for America to be divided against itself.”

“Politicizing the National Guard against imagined ‘enemies from within’ sets the United States on an alarming course toward resembling our authoritarian adversaries,” he continued. “Our servicemembers swear an oath to the Constitution, and cynically using them to silence dissent betrays the democratic values our military exists to protect.”

The letter further details how National Guard units from Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Oregon, California, and Illinois routinely support security missions in the Indo-Pacific and Europe – training with allies, assisting with disaster response, and strengthening partnerships with nations like Vietnam and Ukraine. Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi warns that diverting these units to suppress domestic unrest jeopardizes those critical missions.

The letter calls on the Department of Defense to answer the following questions:

• What National Guard training, exercises, and other scheduled readiness-related activities have been or will be interrupted, canceled, or delayed by current and planned deployments of National Guard units into American cities?
• What foreign security engagements, particularly with U.S. allied and partner nations in the Indo-Pacific, have been or will be interrupted, canceled, or delayed by these mobilizations?
• How does the Department of Defense assess the CCP perceives ongoing National Guard deployments and what escalatory military actions has Beijing taken in the Indo-Pacific since the National Guard first deployed to Washington, DC in August 2025?

“Beijing wants nothing more than for America to be divided against itself,” the letter reads. “The Administration’s reckless deployments of the National Guard only serve the CCP’s propaganda and diminish our military edge.”

Read the full letter HERE.