President Donald Trump has prompted conflicting feelings among veterans, some of whom strongly disagree with his decision to bypass California Gov. Gavin Newsom and deploy the National Guard and Marines to quell Los Angeles’ immigration-related protests against federal raids in the city.
A long-time strong voter base for Trump, some veterans have, much like Newsom, voiced their grievances regarding Trump’s use of the military on this occasion. These concerns come amid protests over recent cuts to the Department of Veteran Affairs and several of its programs, including one that provides mortgage assistance.
Christopher Purdy, who served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2012 and was deployed to Iraq in 2011, refers to Trump’s orders regarding L.A. as a “provocative escalation,” one that has been “extremely discouraging” to him and his veteran peers. After the 2016 election, Purdy got involved in veteran organizing—focusing on immigration matters, something close to his heart as his father was an immigrant. Purdy now leads The Chamberlain Network, which works to motivate veterans to engage in political discourse and advocacy.
“What we saw leading up to [the] weekend were, frankly, minor protests,” Purdy says, sharing his view of the scenes in L.A. prior to Trump’s involvement. “Yes, there was some violence directed at federal law enforcement, but that’s not uncommon. And if we called in the National Guard, every time there were minor outbreaks of violence, we would be living in a police state.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s order to deploy around 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles further complicated matters for some. Purdy says, in his experience, Marines are typically not trained for crowd control like the National Guard, but rather “trained to go out and kick down doors and do offensive operations.”
“It sends a clear message about who the military is being used against,” Purdy argues. “I guarantee you this wouldn’t have happened in Boise [Idaho], or a red state, or a predominantly white city, and it just says what this Administration is willing to do against communities that disagree with [Trump] politically.”
Purdy is not alone in his concerns about Trump and Hegseth’s display of military might in L.A.
Common Defense, which refers to itself as the nation’s largest grassroots veterans organization, condemned Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard in response to protests against Trump’s immigration policies and raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“The militarized response to protests in Los Angeles is a dangerous escalation that undermines civil rights and betrays the principles we swore to uphold,” said Naveed Shah, political director of Common Defense and a U.S. Army veteran, in a statement published by the organization.
Common Defense went on to call the deployment a “disgrace” and “un-American,” and urged veterans to join the planned June 14 “No Kings Day” protests against Trump on the day of his military parade to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. The parade coincides with the President’s 79th birthday, as well.
Veteran Janessa Goldbeck has also voiced her disapproval over the Trump Administration’s federalization of California’s National Guard.
She took to her Substack blog and social media accounts to call Trump’s use of military troops on citizens in L.A. a “misuse of military power.”
“As Trump federalizes the [National] Guard in Los Angeles, we are witnessing precisely the risk we tried to guard against: Troops deployed not for public safety, but for political spectacle,” Goldbeck argued.
Goldbeck was a Marine Corps combat engineer officer and now is the CEO of a veteran engagement group, VetVote Foundation. “As military boots echo through American streets… We must actively strengthen democratic institutions and norms, ensure robust protections against misuse of military power, and resist divisive rhetoric designed to justify authoritarianism,” she said.
Former leaders in the military have also spoken out against Trump’s actions—arguing that it speaks to the President’s priorities of federal versus state power. The former acting vice chief of a National Guard bureau, Major General Randy Manner, told Fox News that he was specifically concerned about Trump’s choice to deploy the Guard against the wishes of Gov. Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.
“The Governor has the authority and ability to respond to the civil disturbances with law enforcement capabilities within his state, augmented as necessary by requesting law enforcement assistance from other governors,” Manner said. “While this is presently a legal order, it tramples the Governor’s rights and obligations to protect his people. This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”
Read More: Federal Judge to Hear California’s Case Against Trump’s Deployment of Troops to Los Angeles
Vietnam veteran Danny Jackson has protested with several of his peers outside of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base “to object and protest against the use of military personnel against the citizens of this country.”
“We were also there to educate and let the troops that might be going up to L.A. know that they do have the right—and responsibility—to refuse any order that would take deadly force against the citizens of this country,” Jackson said in a video posted on Instagram. “I’m a Vietnam veteran. I understand what politics can do to warriors, can do to citizens… We’re returning to a country that’s divided right now.”
Josh Fryday, a U.S. Navy veteran who is running for Lieutenant Governor of California, has also spoken out, saying he is “disgusted by the way the military is being used” in L.A.
“Our military plays such a crucial role in protecting us all and keeping us all safe,” Fryday said via social media. “It’s why I joined, it’s why I wore the uniform. It’s why I respect our men and women to wear the uniform today, and it’s also why I’m so outraged by what Trump is doing.”
Meanwhile, Trump has doubled down on his decision to bypass Gov. Newsom and deploy troops in L.A.
“If our troops didn’t go into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now, just like so much of their housing burned to the ground,” Trump said via Truth Social on Wednesday. “The great people of Los Angeles are very lucky that I made the decision to go in and help.”
The post Veterans Condemn Trump’s ‘Misuse of Military Power’ Amid L.A. Protests appeared first on TIME.
