Governor criticizes deployment

Oklahoma governor criticizes deployment of Texas National Guard

From CNN's Taylor Romine

Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt criticized the deployment of the Texas National Guard into Illinois during an interview with the New York Times Thursday, saying it goes against his beliefs in states’ rights.

While he said he supports the National Guard’s mission to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, he thinks the president should have federalized the Illinois National Guard first, saying he worries about the precedent set for future presidents.

Stitt is the first Republican governor to speak out against the tactic. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, however, joined two filings in the Portland and Chicago cases supporting the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard.

“We believe in the federalist system — that’s states’ rights,” he told the Times. “Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.”

“As a federalist believer, one governor against another governor, I don’t think that’s the right way to approach this,” he said.

Stitt, who is also a chair for the National Governors’ Association, said he is speaking for himself and says his views don’t represent the organization. CNN has reached out to Stitt’s office for comment.